What do you do?



Some thoughts about begging.
Disclaimer: The following is based on information and experiences I collected and my personal opinion. I might be totally wrong about the facts, and in some points, I wish I were.

Angkor raised up the whole begging issue again for me. One worker at a temple told me she doesn't get enough money at her job. But if she could buy a book and learn some English, she could work in a hotel, where the salary is much better. She needs that money because her father died two months ago, her mother is blind and her brother and sister are younger than her and still at school, so she funds the whole family. Righhhhhhtttt... Part of it might be true, where she will get better money at a hotel if she would know English better, but I'm not sure about the rest. I told it to somebody and he told me he heard this story more than once. So what do you do?

Let's see: first there are those who just ask for money. Do you give it?
It is not obvious. For example, in Kathmandu, Nepal, kids on the street ask for money or food. There are orphanages and shelters in Kathmandu. By giving money to a kid you give him a good excuse to stay in the street and not go back to a place, which will probably take better care of him. In Cambodia, on the other hand, I'm not sure there is any well fare system (Anyone knows about a country without a well fare minister?). There are lots of amputees in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap asking for money, so giving it to them might really help. But watch out with the kids again, they might not actually see the money because someone else sent them to beg for it, so here it is maybe better to buy them a meal. So what do you do?

Let's say that you want to discourage giving money for free, but use it to trade for a product. I find it also educating, other than giving it for free. Now you are in Angkor. How about those kids selling T-shirts? Aren't they supposed to be at school right now or working on their home works? Ok, off with that. But here's a band of land mine victims playing music and selling CDs. Buying music from them would surely makes a proper donation. Great! But on the next temple there is another band, and on the next one yet another! What do you do?
In this case I say that you should remember that, unless your name is Bill or Malinda, you are not a charity organization but a single person charity unit. So you should donate accordingly.

What do I do? Good question!