"peso, peso"

Hi all,

there are people on this board who have the better answer to every question. This is a SERIOUS question:

During my last vacation I have been approached on the street by a boy of about 7 or 8 years of age, who asked me for "peso, peso".

What would you do?

Ronald

Ask him why he doesn't have a shoe shine box.

I'd give him or her a peso.This is a small price to pay to see a smile on a kids face don't you think?

And then you have 20 little kids begging pesos off you, and so on, and so on. How about spending time with the child, taking him to dinner with you or to the beach for the day with your family. I don't know. You are right that a peso, a meer .0625 cents US, is nothing for many of us. But we could probably offer more than that and could make a bigger difference, in the child's life and in our own. Just some thoughts...

my 3 year old got in the habit of asking for "cookies, candy, gum?" from people for awhile. I had to break him of it by telling people to please not give him any if he begged like that. However, there were some neighbors who knew that we were poor and who liked to give him a little something when they saw him, so they continued. There is a difference between giving a gift, helping someone in need, and making begging a career. I think it is a judgement call case by case. I would have a hard time refusing someone who really needed it and had no other way to get it. I mean there are more kids who can shine shoes than there are shoes to shine. I would rather err on the side of mercy than the side of injustice. I got my son a paper route as soon as he was old enough. I kind of did what Sarah suggested one time when a bunch of 8-9 year olds started following us. We included them in the little tour we were taking and they acted as our "guides" for which we "paid" them. Another time we gave away Easter eggs, which they had never seen before, which gave them some good protein. We give away clothes to the community poor as gifts of EAster outfits. This is all in one community. like sarah, some thoughts.

(How about spending time with the child, taking him to dinner )(with you or to the beach for the day with your family. )

Hi Sahra

You Idea are A very good idea

but legally the person who are doing this can get they self in trouble

if someone wan to Damage Him/Her

unless that you had not adopted A kids
you never take him away with you to ANY place

because if something hap-end to him

you would be in A very deep Trouble

if you like to help

there are twos way

like one that you had mentioned

by a ONG

and The others

are by knowing the Family and make sure that they are always present

ore give them the help
after that you know that they are not going to use it on alcohol/party etc

it would not be nice that someone goes to jail by trying to help A kids ore any OTHER one

Remember that we have some none well intentioned people around
that on the name of helping
they does strange things to the kids

because of that the autoritys and the family are very sceptical

Regards

Roberto

Making begging a career

Arcoiris,

good answer, as this is the main problem: Giving them nothing or one peso only is not good, because one could easily afford more. Giving them 10 or 20 peso leads to making begging a career. Giving much more than that makes you suspicious of having very bad intentions, as described by Roberto.
Also, I think it is better to give the money to a local school to make that more attractive and affordable. Education is the most important thing to give to the young people.

Ronald

Any reason a 3 year old child whose Mother is at Yale University has to beg for candy and gum?

It may make you feel good but what do those kids do with the money after you give it to them. They may be buying glue to sniff with it. Also a lazy parent may be sending them out to beg. I never give to begging children. When you go deep into the interior of the country. You don't see that many beggers. They seem to like the tourist areas the best. If a child learns to beg for living. They have learned that they do not have to work to living. I do give to cripples and old people. I know they can't make a living.