Comments on: Beggars & Travel Rule #1 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/ A three-year trip around-the-world. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:39:42 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Brian from nodebtworldtravel.com http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3067 Brian from nodebtworldtravel.com Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:25:53 +0000 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/#comment-3067 I felt the same thing when I was in Cambodia. How do you say no to a child...or do we say no to all of them? You've got to be a little detached when you travel to places where hunger and begging are prevalent to say no. I was eating outside at a restaurant in Siem Reap when a child no more than 6 with no shirt on approached and pointed at his mouth. We gave a plate of food and he gobbled it down. The restaurant tried to shoo him away but we said it was OK. What happened the next night to the kid? Did we encourage him to continue begging? Or did we honestly save him from a night of going to sleep hungry? I felt the same thing when I was in Cambodia. How do you say no to a child…or do we say no to all of them? You’ve got to be a little detached when you travel to places where hunger and begging are prevalent to say no.

I was eating outside at a restaurant in Siem Reap when a child no more than 6 with no shirt on approached and pointed at his mouth. We gave a plate of food and he gobbled it down. The restaurant tried to shoo him away but we said it was OK. What happened the next night to the kid? Did we encourage him to continue begging? Or did we honestly save him from a night of going to sleep hungry?

]]> By: Janny http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3063 Janny Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:47:59 +0000 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/#comment-3063 It might, but between encouraging them to beg and watching them die, the line has to be drawn somewhere. Not a sustainable solution, I know. I agree with you, the development experts, social work scholars and the governments, but I would bend the rule depending on the circumstances. Remember the Tanzanian lesson? There are kids with the perfect aptitude, but we can only hope that some opportunities will fall from the sky for them. Don't children deserve proper nutrition even before they learn 'the right way to live'? It might, but between encouraging them to beg and watching them die, the line has to be drawn somewhere. Not a sustainable solution, I know.

I agree with you, the development experts, social work scholars and the governments, but I would bend the rule depending on the circumstances. Remember the Tanzanian lesson? There are kids with the perfect aptitude, but we can only hope that some opportunities will fall from the sky for them.

Don’t children deserve proper nutrition even before they learn ‘the right way to live’?

]]> By: Helen http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3059 Helen Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:10:58 +0000 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/#comment-3059 No matter what you do, beggars will not disappear overnight. It's more about dealing with what you think than what you do. I took beggar as a job. This job might disappear one day when the society is both economically and morally rich. I think human are heading to that direction, very slowly though. So to me, it is alright either giving or not giving, food or money. *** In your first picture, the street sign is ridiculous. The government should love the children both as a group and as individual. They don't use their authority to gather money in the name of saving more people. That's a weak ads. No matter what you do, beggars will not disappear overnight.
It’s more about dealing with what you think than what you do.
I took beggar as a job. This job might disappear one day when the society is both economically and morally rich. I think human are heading to that direction, very slowly though.
So to me, it is alright either giving or not giving, food or money.
***
In your first picture, the street sign is ridiculous. The government should love the children both as a group and as individual. They don’t use their authority to gather money in the name of saving more people. That’s a weak ads.

]]> By: Andy http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3047 Andy Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:00:55 +0000 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/#comment-3047 Janny, but do you think that even giving them food and water only encourages them to continue to beg for such things? I'm not saying your wrong, but that's always how I've thought about it? Anyone else have thoughts on this? (I had an Indian guy tell me a few days ago that people on the streets of India live by 'the laws of the jungle,' thus our way of thinking doesn't always make sense.) Janny, but do you think that even giving them food and water only encourages them to continue to beg for such things?

I’m not saying your wrong, but that’s always how I’ve thought about it?

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

(I had an Indian guy tell me a few days ago that people on the streets of India live by ‘the laws of the jungle,’ thus our way of thinking doesn’t always make sense.)

]]> By: Janny http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3038 Janny Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:44:52 +0000 http://noboundaries.org/blog/2009/04/02/beggars-travel-rule-1/#comment-3038 My rule is to give food/water but not money. My rule is to give food/water but not money.

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