How should we respond to the beggars?
when they become aggressive?
they are relentless?
they make threats?
when you've seen where they come from
and know they have better opportunities than this?
South Africa especially shook me.
One Beggar in particular, approached us three times.
(Guidebooks, tourguides and locals advise against giving change to beggars. They DO have other options, They DO deserve greater dignity than living the life of a beggar.)
We ignored. We walked on. We gave Pringles.
He followed. He moaned.
He claimed he needed bread for his baby.
He threatened...crime...using his knife on us.
A flood of thoughts: he must be addicted to something, no beggar is this persistant...
A day later,
A group of Beggars
sleeping on the sidewalk
waking for the day.
Gave them a few
cookies.
They sang their
gratitude.
How should we respond to the beggars?
How do you respond?
3 comments:
Thinking and thinking about this...have seen poverty but have never felt threatened by it. Always knew what I had to come home to. If one or their family is truly desperate than I could perhaps empathize with threats but am not sure how or what I would do to respond. Give thanks for what we have but help the community help them? How do you help someone feel empowered enough to change such a path? Phew...thanks for sharing Melissa...beautiful, thoughtful posts. We'll miss you this year but am so happy for you guys to experience this!
Thanks for all of that Colleen - your thoughts on poverty and your encouragement for our upcoming year. The beggar is something we've still been thinking a lot about...it was an abnormal situation to say the least. He continues to be on our hearts and in our minds. Hope the coming year is an enjoyable one!
Very unique situation for you. Poverty is such a difficult thing to face, but you did what you could with what you had, just as this gentleman is as well. He's clearly in a dire place in his life and not in full control of his actions. How sad for him and those who, like you, have been affected by this.
Not having traveled internationally, but seen poverty extensively throughout my U.S. travels, it's difficult for me to understand the fear and discontent you felt. But I do know that it takes a lot of compassion and grace to truly be touched in the way that you clearly have been. This only means good things for you and for the world that you will affect through this experience, such as making your blog readers think more intently the next time we're faced with the poverty-stricken. Thanks, Mel. As always, your words are thought-provoking.
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