A young dirty boy, a beggar. Will you give alms?
By donclaudio
@donclaudio (110)
Philippines
March 30, 2010 10:30am CST
Walking in our cities will make you encounter many beggars, young and old. Once, I am somewhat irritated when while eating in a carinderia, a young boy approached my table and ask for alms.
I asked him why he's like that and told him that I started selling different stuffs when I am seven years old for me to earn money. I was thinking what will become of that boy when he grows-up.
Do have this situation in your country also? What is your stand about this young beggars, will you give alms?
11 responses
@shello (964)
• United Arab Emirates
31 Mar 10
Yes, we have that same situation back home. I don't usually give to this children except for some cases. Before I would easily give to them but there was one time when I gave a boy some money to buy food, I found out that the money was used for gambling. From that day I stopped giving money to any beggar on the street but sometimes I would give food to some who would say that they are very hungry.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
1 Apr 10
Giving food is right if you sense that they are really hungry. But money which will be for their gambling?
Tnx for the response
@marashi (89)
• India
31 Mar 10
Seing beggars wherever we go on the street has become a familiar thing for all of us folks but sometimes i feel i don't have to pay alms to all the beggars.I have that kinda feeling like why can't they earn when they're able enough to earn even a single penny like some does??We can't pay alms to everyone.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
2 Apr 10
That is the problem my friend, you can see them with very able bodies, but they don't want to work and perspire to get their food. They are like parasites in the street, and sad to note that many of them resorted to quick money making illegal activities after graduating from begging.
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
30 Mar 10
It's different all over the world.
We have homeless people in our country, many of them could get jobs but choose not to. They would rather live on the streets begging passerby for change just to get by day to day.
It's stupid honestly, if they got a job and got housing, they'd be better off in life.
As for children, especially those in 3rd world countries, there really isn't much you can do. They don't know any better, it's all they do know.
@fianne (1057)
• United States
30 Mar 10
hi kris!
well, i agree with you. you cannot blame them if they ask you for alms when you were eating because they are jealous, you are luckier than them. instead of money, you could have given him your food.
it happens to me all the time, and i don't give them money, i give them food instead. the thing that makes me irritated is, if i have given them food but asks for money. i understand them though becaue i have followed one kid when i gave him food and a 5peso coin, he gave it to his mom and the mom bought it for a paracetamol generic medicine. so i asked the mom who is sick, he said he eldest kid.
there are many people there who are really in need of help. everyone's situation is different. i pity them for being in the street with no food, no shelter and sometimes no clothes. but i pity myself more when i know i can do something to help them but i didn't. i learned that lesson from a beggar myself.
we are all lucky to have our own house, have food to eat and lots of clothes. all we can do is help them. i discourage giving money though.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
1 Apr 10
Thanks for giving your ideas, I do feel sorry for them but I feel what their doing is what you called lazyness, people always complain and ask ask ask and when you give in to their demands, they will always comes back to you and will ask for more and more.
We are really lucky having our own house and foods on our tables, but why? because we work for it, sweat for it.
I beg to dis-agree with kris that what their doing is all they know, I think that is what they want. I do agree with you fianne to discourage giving money, give them food instead if you know that they are really in needs and begging is not their work.
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
1 Apr 10
Well i never help a begger. I see most of them cheat for their food and life. I rather go to orphanage and blind school and give my funds to them. I feel thats the best way to help them rather to encourage begging.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
1 Apr 10
I agree with you they are cheaters, better go to the orphanage as you suggest and not be an encouragement for begging.
Tnx for your response
@irent23 (148)
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
31 Mar 10
Same thing happened to me and my sisters last night when we had our dinner at the carenderia.There is also a young dirty boy asking for a one peso coin.I asked him.where your mom..why did you asked money?he said i want to buy bread in the near bakeshop.So my heart is soften as I heard of what he has said.I easily got my pocket and gave him a 5 peso coin and told him to buy a bread.If I where a rich or a millioner I will have a foundation for the street children's.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
2 Apr 10
I also have other experience where a mute beggar, beggar approached me and in a sign language ask money for his food. I pity him and give an amount where he can buy more than a bread. He left smiling and gave me very thankful gesture, but a week later I observed the same beggar boy having an argument with another beggar and he is shouting angrily. But not as mute like before that I've met him. A bad experience I remember still today. There are many rich millionaires who are doing what you dream for the streets children. But why they are still growing in numbers?
@irent23 (148)
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
5 Apr 10
Yeah..i asked that question to myself too!. i guess there are lots of street childrens here in this world..they outnumbered the foundations that were built for them. that's why lots of them are still in the streets and some of them don't want to live in the shelter coz their lives is in the streets.
@marvz023 (189)
• Philippines
31 Mar 10
for me, i dont give much to this kids becuse the mone wont go to them. it will go to someone else, may it be a drunken father or a money-hungry mother or maybe syndicates offering them food and a place to stay (which is some spare space of an abandoned building for instance) in exchange for asking alms.
i would prefer giving them food, though... those people wont ask food. only the beggars do
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
3 Apr 10
You are very right on that friend, true beggars if given food will not ask for money already. Tnx for you response
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
31 Mar 10
Well, considering that we are of the same country, I believe that you know that I have also met all sorts of beggars in our country. I really do not give them money considering that it will encourage them more to do such. But there are those times that I cannot help and give.. but instead of money it is in another form.. food to eat.
@monkeylong (3139)
• Guangzhou, China
31 Mar 10
As far as I am concerned, I thnk I am willingly to give the young boy or a beggar alms,if the are real beggars. I think I hate the people who cheat me in fact. I will not even look at them at all.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
2 Apr 10
I believe that many of them are real beggars, but that is because they considered being a beggar as their job already. A very pity full situation.
Tnx for the response
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
3 Apr 10
It's good if you give to those who are really incapacitated to work, but try to figure it out, are you really helping them? Just asking. Tnx for your response and Happy Mylotting day.
@setsuna26 (2751)
• Philippines
30 Mar 10
I rarely give money to any beggars, but there are times that i give certain consideration, for example an old lady asking for some money, i tend to give her some coins specially if i see that shes going to have a hard time finding jobs or whatever for her to buy some food. I tend to take into consideration the appearance of the beggar too if he or she is disable or not ;)
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
1 Apr 10
That is good that you are giving to those that appears really in need.
Tnx for the response
@thaddeuspi (27)
• Philippines
31 Mar 10
yes, we also have those beggars here. normally i will not give any alms, sometimes they are used by syndicates, others asks for money not to buy food but to buy industrial glue, these children are then on our society's problem. these beggar will sooner be criminals if not guided properly. to be ethical we also have our responsibilities to them, if only we or our government can give them jobs then our problems will be lessen.
@donclaudio (110)
• Philippines
2 Apr 10
Government is doing little in solving this problem maybe because of the scarcity of funds. Several NGO's have been doing a lot to solve this problem but the problem as I have noticed is that children don't like to be in a controlled environment. They want to be free even if that will mean a very gloomy future for themselves. So they escaped and continue with their trade, begging in the streets. Because many are giving in to their demands their presence is everywhere.
