Snapped in Maradana
In the scorching, dusty streets of Colombo the scene is all too familiar. As soon as the traffic lights switch to red, a beggar with a brawling toddler over her shoulder rushes up to your car and taps on the shutter. Standing in the sweltering heat, sweat dripping from her temples, she motions to her mouth indicating that she and the baby are hungry.
Or, of course, there’s middle-aged man who painfully hobbles up to you holding up his sarong– exhibiting his polio leg. He stretches out a dry cracked palm and pleads for a few rupees.
Question is… do you give them money? Or do you shake your head resolutely and ignore them?
I’ve always felt a tug-o-war between the two options. My first instinct is to give whatever I can. After all, they look as if they really need it. But you can’t help wondering why a mother would bring her child into the vehicle-fume-filled roads and burning heat of the day to be used as a prop for collecting money. I’ve heard stories that those children may in fact not be their offspring.
There’s a woman who carries a child around over the bridge at the Maradana railway tracks. The motor-spare parts shop owners in the area say that she collects a few thousand rupees each day (more than what an average Sri Lankan earns), returning home to blow it all on drugs.
And the man with the polio leg? Well, there’s one down Dharamapala Mawatha, Colombo 07. He hassles people stopped at the traffic lights. He’s been spotted dashing into the pharmacy close by to change all his coins into notes and hurrying back out to be in time for his accomplice- the traffic lights, to have a fresh line of suckers halted and ready for needling cash.
Sure, he’s got a bad leg and that must be hard, but there are plenty of people out there who are handicapped and who still look for some means of employment.
Are beggars are nothing more than artful con-artists preying on the sympathy of the people around them? And our we encouraging them to return to the streets everyday by indulging in their game and giving them money? They do collect quite a bit by begging; more than they’d receive if they worked– so begging is more of an incentive.
Tugging back from what my brain analysed, the muscle in my chest shifts those thoughts. What if we’re wrong? What if they really do need the money? And using their child as a prop is a last resort because that’s the only reason people roll down their shutters and offer a few rupees? How are we to tell who’s being sincere and who isn’t? It would be better to just give- at least you’ve done you’re part.
Then the brain would yank back arguing that by giving money you aren’t helping them and you’re actually contributing to the degeneration on society. It’s up to the government to help them; that’s where your tax money is going.
And well the tug-o-war ensues- the government is hopeless, ministers are a bunch of self-seeking thieves, how can you expect them to help the poor?
So that’s the beggar dilemma. Something I’m faced with daily and I’m sure I’m not alone. How should we react to beggars? Do share your thoughts.
I spoke to a Sri Lankan local whose advice was that if the beggars are disabled, they cannot work and it’s up to you whether you give them a few rupees, but locals do. We’ve seen a lot of disabled people come on to buses etc and local people will give them 5 or 10 rupees each. However, he said that if they are not disabled, then there is no reason why they cannot work and generally you shouldn’t give them anything.
We were approached by a man in Galle who said that he was a stick fisherman, but had lost his family in the tsunami and now couldn’t work – but he wanted milk powder (despite not having any children!!). Having come across this in Cambodia we said no – milk powder is expensive and what they do is repackage into smaller containers and resell it. He could have worked as there is no reason why he couldn’t fish again so we didn’t give him anything.
It is difficult because you want to help everyone, especially those with babies, but I think the Sri Lankan’s guidelines above are pretty sensible.
Yeah, it’s heart wrenching to say no. I suppose it’s best to be selective; to decide for yourself whether they really need it or not. Hopefully, the right people get the help they need.
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Yeah, you want to help, but you are not sure whether they are begging due to a genuine problem or just conning everyone. I usually give to someone with a real disability or really old person.
Yeah, I guess it’s good to employ some discretion and give to whom you think deserve it rather than avoid giving to everyone.
It’s like this; suppose I am able bodied – but for some reason my family kicks me out and I am unable to find a decent job as well…
Not altogether impossible in Sri Lanka is it?
I have a general rule of thumb in my approach to treating other people; How would I feel if I was the other person and how would I like to be treated?
Unfortunately, with beggars, all the issues you have raised come up. Give to the disabled and elderly and those with small children?
It’s a well known fact that children are rented out for this purpose even in Sri Lanka and extremely old beggars earn a lot of money – I just think it’s hard on them to be out on a hot pavement all day long :\
And they are there, because beggar cartels know that these people will rake in the moolah! Police I’ve talked to told me that vans transported these elderly / disabled beggars back and forth from their spots in prime city areas back to their residences. They are THAT rich and organized.
As for giving to the disabled – I don’t know of its happening in Sri Lanka – but in India, children are actually kidnapped and maimed in horrible ways by beggar cartels, to earn as disabled kids.
Remember Slumdog Millionaire? It’s true…
And so, to give too much money to the disabled runs this horrifying risk…
But… but… but… all the reasons you raise on the grounds of humanity apply too. There is just no easy solution for this unless we fight for an efficient government welfare service for the needy…
We can always dream; in this case I do not hope :\
Terribly confusing, isn’t it? But I think making a call and giving to a few who you feel are genuin is better than not giving at all.
A sri Lankan i know who lived in Paris used to give ten euros to this ‘street lady’ on Fridays the day he would go to prayer. He had negotiated with the lady that she would take the money and then make off home not begging for more. He said that’s my trust in her and I said I would give it to her each Friday. Interesting…