Don’t Give to Beggar Children
Posted Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 · Permalink
This is a guest-post by my friend, Anne-Mischa van Schouwenburg. We traveled together throughout Southeast Asia in the summer of 2006.
Begging is a big problem in almost all developing countries. The thing is that travellers often contribute to the problem without knowing.
When travelling you get easily overwhelmed by children swarming around you asking for your money and it can be hard to resist those begging faces over and over again. But be conscious about the fact that by giving children money you encourage them to keep begging for money.
Why is this a problem? Well, when parents see that their children bring home money from the street, the chances of them sending their children to school will reduce. Parents will see begging as an alternative income and encourage the children to continue. This can eventually lead them to dangerous situations like drugs trade and use or prostitution. By giving money you finance this vicious circle and also undermine the responsibility of a country to solve the problem of poverty.
If you want to bring small things for children like pencils or paper, take it to a school or organization directly who will distribute it. You could also, instead of just giving money, buy something from them. This way they will learn that money does not just come from nowhere.
You may feel bad ignoring the wishes of poor children, but be strong. In the end it’s worth it.
Responses feed7 Responses ↓
1ourman // March 24th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
This is a tough one. What is written makes good sense. But let me tell you one anecdote.
I’ve been working with streetkids for the past three years. I worked for an amazing organisation in Hanoi that has rehabilitated (housed, fed, trained, found jobs for) over 200 kids.
Anyway, I was with two of the graduates of the system. Both of them now money earners - albeit a modest Vietnamese wage.
We were in a place called Haiphong - a pretty rough city with lots of people begging. A very thin, sick, kid came up to us, asking for money, I said, sorry no.
I was then shamed by my two friends who both gave about 20,000 dong each - equivalent to just over a dollar or half their day’s wages.
It seems to me you can have all the western experts in the world telling you not to give but these guys, who had been in the same position, gave freely.
I was shamed.
Since then I guess I try to sum up the situation. But if I really think that my money might help then I give a small amount.
There really is no definitive answer though - it’s a very tough call.
2ianmack // March 24th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Thanks for the story ourman. It’s a definitely a tough call. In Cambodia, we met a group of kids that were selling their artwork instead of begging for money. I felt much better contributing to that cause rather than simply handing over dollars on the street.
While one the one hand, it’s up to the governments of these places to make sure all their citizens have adequate jobs/income, in the moment itself, here is a person who has nothing and you have everything.
3Timen // March 25th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Ourman, thanks for your story. It’s really interesting to hear of such an experience. I myself only give money when I know it’ll be going into the right projects, which usually means I’ll not give directly to begging kids.
Ian, I entirely agree with your comments. It really is a difficult situation… and it can be hard to say no.
I myself had this one time that I was talking to a college student in Cambodia. Her parents saved up every year to pay tuition. 100$. Relatively, 100$ is nothing for me. I could easily give her 100$ and be OK myself. And she would have a year’s tuition done and paid for.
I still wonder why I didn’t just give her 100$. She never asked, but I thought, why not?
4boris // March 25th, 2007 at 12:33 am
when i was travelling in vietnam i met this really poor kid in nah trang. he was extremely disfigured by the aftereffects of the use of agent orange, so i’ve been told.
he could not walk and apparently was being carried every day to a certain corner in nah trang. he was then left there for the whole day to beg.
i had given him some money from time to time until i found out that his whole family lived off the money he made begging.
i stopped giving money to beggar children then, even though it had been only tiny amounts. i got him a noodle soup and a sugar cane juice from a nearby stall a couple times instead.
5Anne-Mischa // March 25th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Thank you for your responses. There is indeed no definite answer as ourman points out. Each situation is different. To get more insight in the situation you could talk to a local organization who will know more about living conditions of the children.
As Ian and Boris say it is indeed better to buy something they are selling as this will teach them the value of money.
When I was in Vietnam I visited a children’s orphanage where I left some small toys behind. This way I knew that the children would benefit from it.
6ourman // March 26th, 2007 at 1:13 am
“…this will teach them the value of money.”
I think they know the value of money. It’s people with too much money who don’t know that.
7Timen // March 26th, 2007 at 9:49 am
It is possible that Anne-Mischa meant more along the lines of that money doesn’t grow on trees and that, to help themselves, they should work to earn money.
In my opinion such a philosophy is indeed better for a country as a whole in the long-run.
Thanks for all your responses.
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