I remember long ago my husband saying that I should not give money to the children on the streets that beg. I thought that was hard but he explained then that I was only teaching them a totally wrong lesson by giving them money. As a rule you have to work for what you want in life. If it’s possible to just beg and get it, then why work. Why even go to school, after all, one goes to school to get an education, to get a work, to earn money. (I think you get the picture.)

Daily these children are out on the streets, mainly by the traffic lights begging, usually the same ones, in the same spots, over and over. By the way we do have a “Child Protection Act”, (but that’s another story), yet no one pays any attention to these children. I remember once they were holding the little ones in Half Way Tree and charging their parents. At the time I thought that that was a brilliant move, however it was very short lived.

The reason I’m writing about it this morning is because I saw something on my way to work that truly upset me. There is a young man that begs at the top of Mountain View and Old Hope Road corner, across from the gas station. He has been there from as long as I can remember. He used to come out early each morning in his uniform begging. I even remember saying that I’m sure his parents don’t know what he was up to. Or if they did know then they were truly wicket parents as they were denying the child an education.

Well this morning that same “child” who is now a man, was there on duty begging, only this time he had a young baby in his arms. People, it was drizzling, yet there he was with the baby in his arms on the road begging. So now I’m supposed to feel sorry for the baby. My husbands words came back to haunt me. If no one had given that child money he would have had to find another way of making a living.

Jamaicans, we need to stop encouraging this way of life. I know it’s rough out there, but we are doing a great disservice by giving money to these children on the road. There are other ways that we can help. It might be too late for this particular boy but if we don’t put an end to it now we will soon end up with entire families begging on our streets.

Nuff Love