Responding to the Pleas of Children on the Street

I have been traveling a lot in poor countries around the world, and I have never given money to street kids. I have given them food, though.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I came across a very good idea for getting kids off the street. On Christmas Eve 2004, my sister and I ate dinner at Friends Restaurant. This is one of many projects in Phnom Penh to get kids off the street; they are trained as cooks and waiters. Not only is the food delicious but the atmosphere is friendly and warm, and you are eating for a good cause. That was my best Christmas ever.

Michaela Borghese

Washington

* * *

In Bangladesh, a Muslim nation, there is a tradition of giving to beggars, but foreigners come in for special begging attention. I once had a colleague who gave a woman the equivalent of $3, probably 50 to 100 times the normal gift. The entire time he was in the country he was followed by a gang of up to 25 people, all grabbing at him and making it hard for him to walk down the street.

The next time I went, I was recognized, and a bunch of kids started following me. When I went into my hotel, the kids started throwing rocks at the hotel, and the staff came out with sticks and chased them off.

I have worked in 40 countries, most of them poor, but I don't give to street kids. They can be mighty cute, but a mob of 20 of them throwing rocks is not cute at all -- and when they become a little older, they may graduate to more violent measures.

Tony Hudgins

Washington

* * *

When my husband and I were in countries where there is a lot of poverty, we always made sure we knew where the bakeries were. We used to buy bread, rolls or pretzels and give that to street children, and some small coins.