It seems each one of us has been put into the witness stand, when two friends of mine drafted and a group of friends signed a petition on street children and beggary almost five months ago.
awareness
It seems each one of us has been put into the witness stand, when two friends of mine drafted and a group of friends signed a petition on street children and beggary almost five months ago. The petition received over 300 signatures, from like-minded citizens in the first two days. Ever since, it has become a constant struggle to try and convince people to curb their charitable sides and NOT give money to beggars.
I still remember him vividly. He was a little boy, maybe 10 or 11 years old, who navigated the streets of Lahore, stomach-down, on a piece of wood with wheels attached, pulling his body along with his arms. He didn’t have any legs. He rolled over to me, looked up into my eyes, grinned and asked for money. Struggling to hide my horror, I reached into my purse and handed him 100 Rs. Giving him that money might be among the most destructive things I have ever done.
I learnt much later, after I observed beggars that one should never give them money. Not to the disabled ones. Not to the ones who want money for school and not even to the ones who ask for money for food. Not only is it one of the most harmful acts to do but is by far the most selfish.
We celebrated Eid ul Fitr a few days ago and many of you must have seen a large number of beggars arrive from the north and the south and descend to Karachi. Beggars - be it maimed, blind, crippled, weak, robust and most sadly drugged and the disabled children and infants - all holding out their palms very conveniently in front of people.
Organized begging is one of the most visible forms of human trafficking, patronized by all kidnappers, handlers, politicians and police alike, but largely financed and enabled by good-hearted people who just want to help. These kind souls just want to do charity that even our religion promotes. Unfortunately, what we don’t realize is that all this is perpetuating a cycle of poverty ensuring that the beggar child stays forever on the streets.
According to official statistics, in Pakistan, around 60,000 children disappear each year. Some human rights groups estimate that the actual number is much higher than that. Many of these children are kidnapped and forced onto the streets or into organized, mafia-like criminal groups. UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, and some other studies show that these children aren’t allowed to keep their earnings or go to school, are often starved in order to make them look gaunt, thereby, eliciting more sympathy and of course more money. And since disabled child beggars get more money than healthy ones, criminal groups often increase their profits by scarring their faces or amputating a limb etc. In 2006, a foreign news channel filmed doctors agreeing to amputate limbs for the begging mafia at $200 apiece.
There is more to the story. To prevent such children from running away, traffickers often keep them addicted to opium or other drugs. According to Dr Sohail Thobani, a paediatrician and also volunteers with a local NGO AAS, it is the easiest thing to do to make street kids drug addicts.
And it is not just Pakistan. Horrific examples of trafficking in children (and the elderly) for the purposes of organized begging have been found in countries all over the world. No country is immune to human trafficking. And when trafficked children get too old to beg effectively, they are often forced into prostitution, the black-market organ trade, or become suicide bombers.
So when we, well-intentioned public give money directly to child beggars, there is a decent chance we are actually lining the pockets of criminals who will turn around and use that money to abduct, enslave, rape, torture, and maim even more kids. It is a devastating pill to swallow, since enslaved children who return to their captors without money might be beaten, tortured, or worse. But by giving them money, we only encourage the cycle, finance a horrific business model and put such children in grave danger.
There is a constant debate in our group called ‘Save Our Children’; and few of our group members just can’t help but give financial aid to such kids. On the one hand there is our team mate Ali, who takes care of six street children and gives money to their families. And on the other, Farah and I are on a constant mission to try and negotiate with one of the female beggars to give us her girls, but she denies it and says that their father wouldn’t settle for anything less than 25,000 Rs per girl child every month. This means that the girls are up for sale to the highest bidder.
However, there are better ways to give. So many philanthropists are doing such good charitable work with reputable institutions. Established NGOs can ensure that charitable donations go to effective, sustainable projects and they know how to implement positive change in minimally disruptive ways. To some, sending a check to a trustworthy organisation doesn’t feel intimate, so they prefer giving to numerous charity balls, events etc.
Honestly speaking, none of that helps much when we are confronted with heartbreaking poverty and suffering. Right? It feels cruel and heartless to look a needy child in the eyes. The solution is simple! Look beyond him... Is he born to be condemned to live on the streets forever? Was it ordained by destiny? In my opinion that is not true. If you want to help, come and join us, give us a reach out and help us save one child at a time. Find an inventive, responsible way to be kind.
Many of you must be thinking what to do with the child that constantly whines and bangs on your car door? My friend Cyra travels with small biscuit packets and the kids love her. She has been travelling with these goody bags for some time now. My group members and I have learnt this thing from her and it has become a fun and minimally disruptive way to interact and prompt a few smiles, including our own. And then there is another friend of mine who travels with a lightweight animal puppet. The options are endless.
It is imperative not to give money or gifts to child beggars. That doesn’t mean we have to turn our backs on them. Donate to responsible NGOs, and look for creative new ways to be kind to children that won’t disrupt familial dynamics, encourage long-term poverty, or abet human trafficking. Leave those extra ten rupees in your pocket, instead take out ten minutes of your time and talk to the children, ask their names, and ask about their families, where they come from etc. What more you can do is take a picture and upload it on the face book page ‘Find My Family’; you never know you might be instrumental in helping a family find their long lost child.
With time and numerous awareness programmes, we have noticed that even though the professional beggars normally increase in the city, this time around the child beggar population has significantly decreased. This alone gives hope. It shows the power of determination and belief. It is a struggle no doubt, but things are changing for the better. Posters are designed, pamphlets are distributed, and awareness videos are made and uploaded on social media. Students, parliamentarians and law enforcing agencies are involved. Linkages are being established with shelter homes and educational and vocational training institutes. All steps are headed in only one direction; steps that albeit are baby steps that will eventually lead to one destination only which is ‘Saving Our Children from Beggary and Slavery’.
The best part of this movement for me has been meeting people who genuinely care, forming strong bonds of camaraderie with them, and reviving my belief in my fellow citizens. We are a caring nation and we look for causes to follow.
*For more info check Facebook page - Save Our Children
