Responding to the Pleas of Children on the Street

I cannot walk away knowing that some of these children have a very hard life at home, if they have a home. They get beaten if they do not bring money home. A young boy told us that one night at midnight, when we asked him why he was still begging. I will never forget his little face, and those big, brown, sad eyes. A small coin goes a long way. Many organizations never reach those children.

By the way, a candy can do no harm to a child who has so little.

Does DeRosa

Springfield

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Lori Robertson makes good points about Western tourists' sense of distress and confusion when exposed to the poverty of developing lands. Having lived in East Africa, I have faced all of the situations she describes.

Here are some further suggestions:

Give such items as shoes, school supplies and clothing discreetly and directly to a specific recipient. Then you know they will be useful.

Put the item in a bag. Envy and theft are problems in Africa.

Buy from women and children, if possible, and don't bargain too hard. It's another way of donating.

Buy fixed-price items, such as newspapers, on the street. Add a small tip to encourage a vendor with a job.

Finally, get a grip on your guilt. Before leaving the United States, make a donation to an organization that helps people in the area you plan to visit -- Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, CARE. Then as you travel, it will be easier to resist giving indiscriminately, not usually a successful strategy.

For a pre-trip donation in East Africa, check out Amani Children's Home in Moshi, Tanzania, at http://www.amanikids.org/. Your money will be well spent, I guarantee.

Linda Wolcott

Annandale