What would you do if you encountered children on the side of the road begging?
By caribe
@caribe (2465)
United States
December 27, 2006 12:43pm CST
Christmas Day we went to the beach here in Nicaragua and there were probably a hundred or so children along the highway waiting for a car to pass and some would throw a shovel full of dirt into one of the many holes on the road when they caught sight of a car coming. Then as we approached they held out their hands wanting money. If they had really been so busy at least some of the holes would have been full. There were at least three instances where children had a string stretched across the highway and the children wanted money for you to pass. If you didn't stop they would drop the string so it wouldn't be lost or broken. I had really mixed emotions about these children. On the one hand they probably could have used the money but there were so many of them. It was so sad. On the other hand, it was somewhat of a nuisance. What would you do? What do you think?
5 people like this
65 responses
@nana1944 (1365)
• United States
28 Dec 06
It would be so hard, I think, to keep on driving. But a person can't help all of them. If I ever went somewhere like that, I would probably get some small denominations of coins and toss them to the children. That way at least some of them would get a little something. I always think they might be the angel that God sent to me unaware as per the story in the bible.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
You are right. It is hard to keep driving and you can't help them all. It is just so hard. If you threw the money the biggest and strongest would probably take it all. I watched at a child's birthday party when they broke open a piñata and the candy fell to the ground. The stronger, faster kids swooped up all the candy and didn't share with the quieter, more timid, more frail children. I seemed to be the only one at the party that it bothered.
1 person likes this
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
27 Dec 06
I wouldn't know how to handle it, because it's never happened to me. I'll bet that even though they looked like children, inside they were probably as tough as any adult going. I wouldn't have given them anything, because it was such a con. That doesn't mean I wouldn't feel sorry for the children, but much as we'd like to, most of us can't afford to help everyone we feel sorry for.
3 people like this
@caribe (2465)
• United States
27 Dec 06
It is so sad and I can never get used to it. It was especially heart-rending at the contrast of these children and others that I know that are at home safe and playing with their newest toys. Some of them are working a con, but even so they are all still very, very poor. But I can't afford to help them all. I wish there was an answer to this problem, but there just doesn't seem to be one. Yes, some of them look like children on the outside but they are hard as nails on the inside from all they have seen and been through.
2 people like this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
28 Dec 06
You ask some very difficult questions caribe. Having never lived out side the USA I have never encountered any thing like what you describe. I have seen our soldiers with groups of street children begging. The soldiers give them some candy which realy does not fill their little bellies. I have to be truthful. I really don't know what I would do. What could you do at that time?
2 people like this
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
I will tell you what my husband did. He was driving and he just kept on driving. He said that one time some adults put a baby in the middle of a road out in the country and waited for someone to stop and get out to check on why the baby was all alone laying in the middle of the road, so that they could rob the unsuspecting driver.
1 person likes this
@april444 (1341)
• United States
28 Dec 06
This is like the situation in vietnam if you give money to them it never stops and parents will let there kids beg instead of go to scholl and so on.... these kinds of countries make me sad but some people like to live that way even in the usa you see people on the streets asking for handouts but will they contibute to society hell no.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
Probably 90% of those children on the road begging don't go to school at all. I am sure that some of them would like to but their families don't see the importance of it or feel they can't afford to do without income that the children make. That is sad for the children.
@jbl1975 (374)
• United States
28 Dec 06
That goes on in many third-world countries. I read The Masked Rider by Neil Peart of Rush, and he talked of a kid who jumped in unasked to help him and his bicycle tour group put the bikes in the baggage car, then demanded 1000 francs (about $5) for it. When the tour leader offered 200 francs, take it or leave it, the kid threatened to pull the bikes out of the baggage car. Eventually the kid reluctantly took the 200 francs and all was resolved.
I have always heard about people in New York running up and cleaning people's windshields at red lights, then demanding money, so it happens here too.
In Mexico, there were always kids running up to me trying to sell me those cloth bracelets. I didn't want any, so I just said "no dinero" and they went away.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
In Managua there are many people in the streets selling things at the traffic lights and many times there are children as well. Sometimes the children start washing the windshield without permission because they want money. We always tell them "no" because the water isn't clean and they are at every traffic light. How many times do you need the windshield washed? If my husband tells them no and they don't stop, he turns the windshield washer and wipers on. Then they stop. They are everywhere in the city, I just thought it so strange that they were on the highways in the country without and adult anywhere around.
@cdvassell (181)
• United States
28 Dec 06
If there were so many of them- then more than likely they are idlers and mischief makers. I wouldn't give them any money. Besides they are too numerous to even give them money. If they became a nuisance or a threat to my safety, I would call the police.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
They weren't gathered together in a crowd. They were just every kilometer or so there would be two or three and we drove probably 200 kilometers. The roads were in bad repair and you couldn't drive very fast so you came into close contact with them. I remember having a similar experience when we drove several years ago from Nicaragua to the border of Honduras, not long after Hurricane Mitch had devastated that area. Those children truly were in desparate need back at that time and they were out in areas where you wouldn't have realized people were living, had you not seen the children on the road trying to get a little money. We did give money to a few of those children but again, there were many children.
@josephperera (2906)
• Sri Lanka
28 Dec 06
In Sri Lanka too children begging is a problem. When you see a child begger you are supposed to inform the authorities, who will take them away to rehabilitation centers, where the children will be well fed and looked after. But their parents bring them back to beg on the streets.
The people, especially the ladies through emotion give money to these children, not realising that they are in fact ruining the life of the child. If everyone decides not to give money to them, then they will have a better life.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
28 Dec 06
Thank you for confirming what I believe to be the case in this country as well. That is, that the parents are sending these children out to get money for them on the streets. In the past, once or twice, I have questioned the children about their parents and sometimes they would say they didn't have any, and then later I would find out they were lying to me. They were telling me what they thought would make me feel more sorry for them. And they usually come to me even when my husband is present but I thought it was because they thought I would have money because I am a foreigner and he is not.
@clickerz (471)
• Philippines
28 Dec 06
Well,if I have some cash I wouldnt give them, instead I will buy a food for them.Giving money sometimes didnt sort to buy food but sometimes they gamble it.It beeter to give food so that they can eat it. Just my ideas.
@moneygrows (170)
• Canada
28 Dec 06
Maybe children thought westerners might throw some bucks at them when they see them begging for money. Or maybe it might have become a fashion in that place that begging is not something that don't feel ashamed of. Insuch instances, I would rather run away from them but give to one who really sounded like a begger and who really needed money to feed themselves. Children you have encountered might be acting as beggers to lure westerners during Christmas. It definitely might have given you embarrassing moments.
1 person likes this
@chipschangs (18)
•
28 Dec 06
This is indeed a difficult situation. As there were many chidren begging I would not have given any of them any money. I would instead have gone on to donate some money to a chidrens charity
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
27 Jan 07
wow, that is pretty sad. I am sure their parents put them up to it, or some adult. Its very difficult to make the call on why they are doing that and what are the consequences of coming home empty handed.
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
28 Dec 06
It always depends on what mood I am in at the time I encounter something like this. Sometimes I give and drive on and feel good about what I did. Other times I just drive on through, say a little pray and still feel good about what I did.
I do not come across anything like this much anymore, but when I lived in Florida I did see a lot of homeless adults with children. They would stop me while I was driving through an intersection or stop me when I was going into a store. Sometimes I gave and sometimes I didn't, but a little prayer goes a LONG way!
@krislouiebaby (2347)
• Philippines
28 Dec 06
if i would have the chance to have the resources and power,,,i will take care of them,send them to school and feed them...everyone deserves to be well taken cared of...
sigh...
@faylinn_chaeli (1619)
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
I think the government should do something about this, yeah I agree, I pitty beggars but sometimes beggars are not beggars after all, they are part of a syndicate who begs for money.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
28 Jan 07
The whole story is very sad. I guess if I had expected this, I would have thrown a few boxes of granola bars or soething in the car to give out.
About 30 years ago, I went down to Nuevo Laredo, what they would do down there is slap some dirty water on your car and pretend to be washing it, then when you came to get out car stand in front of the car or sit on the hood until you gave them $5.
If they were not paid and you tried to drive away they would throw themselves on the ground acting like you had hit them with the car.
I just gave them the money and left.
But kids are much sadder.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
7 Feb 07
this sounds cold, but they probably have adults organizing this, and those adults had nasty plans for you.
