Change the alms - decrease begging..

I'd rather say that some NGO's take care of them, like they analyze area by area and pick up them and provide shelter and food for some time and then provide work for them. This will work out. Giving money or food for a single time won't help the cause. This will not happen in a single night, it has to be done and within a year or so begging can be decreased. It all depends upon the individual to do so. Cheers!!!

I agree.

Hello Vandana ji, Whether the beggars like or not, giving food for the hungry person is considered as the most powerful donation. You know the reason, human beings are greedy all the time, if we give money they need more, if we give any other objects then also they feel to get more but in case of giving food to a hungry person, he/she can eat still the stomach is full. Once the stomach become full at a time, nobody can eat or wish more food, am I right? So the person is highly satisfied and may bless the contributor. (I have read this description in a temple, Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, in the capital of Kerala, where I visited in my vacation last year. They are offering food on every day at lunch time in the name of ‘anna danam’ (offering food). On the wall they have written the greatness of offering food for the hungry). In India the beggars are not poor, it is a fact. (thesids has pointed out the same rightly). They are begging for money only. I will tell you once incident for proving this. In 2002, we were on the way to Agra to visit Tajmahal, my in-laws were also with us. We prepared ‘Uppma’ for our breakfast. As we left home so early (before 6 am) we had packed breakfast to eat on the way. In Agra railway station an elderly lady approached us and show her hand to give something. My MIL told me to give one packet of breakfast which meant for us. I quickly gave one packet to her. My hubby was talking to a taxi person for our travel from railway station to Agra and other places. So we stayed sometime in the station. We seen the lady who taken the food packet from us, just throw the packet of food in the railway track. Just imagine we had taken the food for us only and we shared one of the packets from that. I can’t express what I felt on seeing the same. Now what do you say dear.

Hi vandana, you can't stop begging. It is a good business without investment. Money or food the beggar gets something. Head or tail does not matter.

i also agree. when we give money to beggars, we encourage their trade. they are only more convinced that they can go on with their lives as it is. people probably give money because they consider it a form of help. but if there's anything we should teach to those who beg, it's that money is earned and worked for. there are many ways to earn, and we all ought to respect ourselves and our capabilities by using them to their fullest and making the best out of our lives through them. if you give to a beggar, you disregard the sanctity of your effort to earn that money, and you slowly kill the better individual that the beggar could be.

I agree. When I was on a trip a man asked my son for money when we were walking down the street. He was a US veteran and felt we "owed" it to him. I had some left over pizza and I offered it to him. He was angry I didn't give him money. I handed him the box and said, "Well at least you will have something to eat" He wasn't happy and you are right, I felt happy I wasn't taken for a ride. I have "lent" people money and seldom do I get paid back. My solution is to give someone asking for me to lend them money, a bag of my extras from my pantry. They can save on their food bill a little and I helped out as best I can. This way I don't get upset when they break their promises.

The beggars don't want food and some of them are richer than we are!! I do not encourage begging and don't give them money either....but I wish we could just rehabilitate them, give them a job or something. But many of them do not want that.

I used the "sad" emoticon, Vandi...because I realistically cannot give a definitive answer! I find "begging" quite different in different cultures..and my experience may be tarnished! For several years, I made a trek, and living on the Beach on the Baja Peninsula (Baja California) which is actually in Mexico! The children were "bussed" daily to major tourist centres...IF THEY CAME HOME, to their beach huts (where I was living) WITHOUT MONEY--they were beaten...some so badly they DID NOT come home for days! FOOD was not currency...and this was a business, exploiting children! I learned--that culture...BEATS the beggars that are always children! What to do! In Canada, so far...we do NOT have many children begging! I only give food!

I agree with you. I prefer to give food than money to the beggars. With it, I will be confident that they will not use it to any other bad things like gambling. Some street children are even a member of a gang or syndicate and they are just using those children for their selfish intention.

Vanda, indeed your ideas is right. In fact, recently i came across a young boy begging for money while i am shopping in the wet market area. I do felt pity for him and wanted to give money. But on second thought, i quickly changed my mind and gave him a bottle of drink, which i just bought from the nearby shop. He does felt sad and first but at last he thanked me and left. I do feel that giving food and drink to those who are begging is the best way.

I like it. Most of the people begging on the street in Indonesia do not want to accept foods, they want only money. So, I do not give anything to them, just feeling sad when looking at those little children of 3 - 7 are forced to beg on the street... it's like a mafia!

HI aunty!!! Nice idea.... What we always do is giving them money and that is why they take advantage and beg for more $$$..Here we used to give money instead of food but I don't think that everyone of them are really need money because they are not capable to work.It is almost like a job but unofficial job/career. To give food is good and just imagine if we give food to a beggar who already have drinks and foods with them in a night market? I am not sure they will feel grateful since food is not their target.