On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 9:05 AM, ss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Friday 26 Sep 2008 10:52:40 pm Cory Doctorow wrote: >> Anyone got a favourite secular kids' poverty charity in Mumbai? I feel >> like my randomly arrived-at donations to beggar kids (plus the weird >> baby-food scam in Colaba) have been an infinitesimal drop in the ocean >> and I'd like to contribute to substantial and lasting change. > [snip] > I am merely trying to point out the stupendous hypocrisy and callousness in > India that would probably be considered "normal" in the social behavior of > some animals - notably insects. > > Let me get down to what I wanted to say: > > If poverty stricken children attract charity, the best method of getting money > out of charity is to make your children appear as poverty stricken and > miserable as you possible can. The best way to "make them appear that way" is > to ensure that they really are that way - like a used dsposable diaper.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=7gs49P7554c=&Title=Begging+becomes+lucrative+with+children&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ= I'm from Mumbai and there is no other city in India that attracts beggars like that city does, in terms of sheer magnitude. This incident occurred some years ago... At many junction lights one will find girls (~ 10-18 yrs average) with yet another ~2 year old on her hip begging for money until the light turns green, and we (friend & me) like any self-presumptous human decreed that begging was bad, asked her if she would work as a domestic help, where food, clothing and lodging would be taken care of (at the friends place) with a salary of 1000 bucks. My friend went on to say she would enroll her at the local school (not exactly easy to get a 15 year old with no schooling back into school) or pay for her education in any other way. Her answer :"Madam, kitna deegi? 1000 rupaiya? Main idhar 5000 kamati hai, aur kuch kaam nahin karna padta hai. Tum toh mere se kaam karvaiga aur sirf 1000 dengi !! {Translation : Madam, how much will you pay ? 1000 rupees per month? I earn 5000 rupees a month for doing nothing but you will make me work for just 1000 bucks} > In India the child is used as a prop in a different way. The parent needs help > because his/her dharma is to look after a child and the more unfortunate the Its not just the parents, the child too gets accustomed to begging (aka, its others responsibility to look after me) in life. my zero paise...
