Do you provide alms to child beggars?
If your answer is YES to the above question, …Thanks a lot then….you are inadvertently contributing in ruining that child’s future to some extent. Usually people donate money to child beggars out of shear compassion and empathy. But, little do they know that whatever money is being provided to these children is actually rendering them incompetent for the future. Most of these children start begging from a tender age of 4-5 years. Some are school dropouts and just run-away holding their slipping pants if you mention the word “school” while talking to them. For the past two months “We Volunteer” was involved in a research focusing on the child beggars in Chandigarh. We collected statistical data and profiles of these children begging in public places (sector 17 plaza, sector 36, sector 35 and many more). Most of the children who are begging in Chandigarh fall within the age gap of 5-13 yrs. People in Chandigarh are very generous I must say. All thanks to the highest per capita income in India.
Most of these children somewhere around 50-100 bucks per day in cash; apart from the usual food which people buy them. The cash flow follows a structure:
Let’s say a person gives a 10 Rupee note to a child beggar. 50% of that money is wasted into Junk Food (Zero nutrition value) and Cheap Drugs (fluids, tobacco). The other half is either snatched by an elder bully or is offered as a “Hafta.” Then the cycle continues where the money is further put into drugs and gambling. The child beggar seldom gives any money to his parents. And more surprisingly, some of the parents don’t even know that their kids are into begging. So much unregulated money is being fed into this industry that just in the city of Chandigarh; a whooping money mending industry is flourishing under the aegis of your compassion. A one rupee donated as alms to a child beggar is not serving any purpose; rather it is acting like an imprecation on him/her. The motive of “Curb the Beggar Industry Campaign” is to make people aware about the social irresponsibility they are doing by giving money to the beggars. If you really want to help a child then give him/her affection, put an arm around him/her, ask his/her name, get him some clothes to fully cover the body, buy him food to eat, put him into a good school and follow this up….try it on one child….nurture him/her but DO NOT GIVE MONEY.
“Curb The Beggar Industry” campaign kicked of at Sector -17 Plaza on 26th April (Saturday). It was signature drive where people had to pledge and sign then they would not provide money to the child beggars. As usual the Saturday fever was slowly beginning to sizzle with the backdrop of the sun slowly settling down. The campaign started at 3 PM and continued till 8 PM. Every volunteer was briefed before the campaign started.
Volunteers Present: Preet, Kaval, Prashant, Ankush, Rajeev, Richa, Aurodeepa, Shyam
With the campaign banner in place, the volunteers moved around the shopping centre stopping the Saturday revelers and telling them about the facts and findings of the research we carried. Some listened carefully and very cooperatively signed the sheet. Some did not care to stop and listen to the talk…”Time nahin hai”…..huh!
Meanwhile, there were a few who carefully listened to the briefing but did not affix their signatures. A total of 450 people signed at the end of the first day…Not bad!
The second day at sector 17 turned out to be more effective.
Some of the people had read the press coverage of the previous day, so they were a little aware about the drive. The drive started at virtually the same time and continued till 8:30 PM.
Volunteers Present: Preet, Kaval, Ankush, Richa, Raj, Abhishek, Sudheesh, Vrinda, Simran.
By the end of the day, another 680 people signed. Not bad at all!!...
The drive continues in schools and colleges all through the week.
Meanwhile, today we are going to start classes for some beggars to raise their knowledge to some level before putting them into a school.
*Special thanks to the guys who volunteered to help us in the drive at the plaza.
If your answer is YES to the above question, …Thanks a lot then….you are inadvertently contributing in ruining that child’s future to some extent. Usually people donate money to child beggars out of shear compassion and empathy. But, little do they know that whatever money is being provided to these children is actually rendering them incompetent for the future. Most of these children start begging from a tender age of 4-5 years. Some are school dropouts and just run-away holding their slipping pants if you mention the word “school” while talking to them. For the past two months “We Volunteer” was involved in a research focusing on the child beggars in Chandigarh. We collected statistical data and profiles of these children begging in public places (sector 17 plaza, sector 36, sector 35 and many more). Most of the children who are begging in Chandigarh fall within the age gap of 5-13 yrs. People in Chandigarh are very generous I must say. All thanks to the highest per capita income in India.
Most of these children somewhere around 50-100 bucks per day in cash; apart from the usual food which people buy them. The cash flow follows a structure:
Let’s say a person gives a 10 Rupee note to a child beggar. 50% of that money is wasted into Junk Food (Zero nutrition value) and Cheap Drugs (fluids, tobacco). The other half is either snatched by an elder bully or is offered as a “Hafta.” Then the cycle continues where the money is further put into drugs and gambling. The child beggar seldom gives any money to his parents. And more surprisingly, some of the parents don’t even know that their kids are into begging. So much unregulated money is being fed into this industry that just in the city of Chandigarh; a whooping money mending industry is flourishing under the aegis of your compassion. A one rupee donated as alms to a child beggar is not serving any purpose; rather it is acting like an imprecation on him/her. The motive of “Curb the Beggar Industry Campaign” is to make people aware about the social irresponsibility they are doing by giving money to the beggars. If you really want to help a child then give him/her affection, put an arm around him/her, ask his/her name, get him some clothes to fully cover the body, buy him food to eat, put him into a good school and follow this up….try it on one child….nurture him/her but DO NOT GIVE MONEY.
“Curb The Beggar Industry” campaign kicked of at Sector -17 Plaza on 26th April (Saturday). It was signature drive where people had to pledge and sign then they would not provide money to the child beggars. As usual the Saturday fever was slowly beginning to sizzle with the backdrop of the sun slowly settling down. The campaign started at 3 PM and continued till 8 PM. Every volunteer was briefed before the campaign started.
Volunteers Present: Preet, Kaval, Prashant, Ankush, Rajeev, Richa, Aurodeepa, Shyam
With the campaign banner in place, the volunteers moved around the shopping centre stopping the Saturday revelers and telling them about the facts and findings of the research we carried. Some listened carefully and very cooperatively signed the sheet. Some did not care to stop and listen to the talk…”Time nahin hai”…..huh!
Meanwhile, there were a few who carefully listened to the briefing but did not affix their signatures. A total of 450 people signed at the end of the first day…Not bad!
The second day at sector 17 turned out to be more effective.
Some of the people had read the press coverage of the previous day, so they were a little aware about the drive. The drive started at virtually the same time and continued till 8:30 PM.
Volunteers Present: Preet, Kaval, Ankush, Richa, Raj, Abhishek, Sudheesh, Vrinda, Simran.
By the end of the day, another 680 people signed. Not bad at all!!...
The drive continues in schools and colleges all through the week.
Meanwhile, today we are going to start classes for some beggars to raise their knowledge to some level before putting them into a school.
*Special thanks to the guys who volunteered to help us in the drive at the plaza.
We Initiate.....Do You????
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