Little Terrors

Today I was legit terrorized for the first time by little beggar kids. First they asked me to buy them food. I told them they should go to CRO, an organization here specifically set up to help children in this way. They all know about it which is why the sheepish grin that passes over their faces, even for the slightest moment, serves as proof. Then they start saying “help me go to school. I want to go to school.” I reply “I’m sorry but I can’t help you” then instinctively enclose the little hand that’s found its way into mine. No! Stop it – don’t hold their hands!! Do NOT give them any encouragement to continue on with their little disturbance.

Unfortunately by this time ‘little’ was not the appropriate way to describe the escalating situation, as the mass of children following me had grown to at least 8. I swear if they wanted to jump me, I wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s not to say that they’re all little gangsters, I’m just trying to illustrate the sheer strength of their numbers compared to my puny one.

The requests continued and so did my much-too-nice refusals. Finally, at a cross street I tell them this is where we have to part ways and think it actually worked. Wow, how did I get so lucky? The reality, I didn’t. By the time I get to the next block there they are again, swarming behind me. By this time I was at a loss of what to do. I did not want them following me or knowing where I lived so I did the only thing I could think of, after my failed attempt at telling them to leave me alone of course; I flagged down a boda and hightailed it out of there.

I know, I know, it sounds terrible. Refusing to help little children? What kind of monster am I? I’d say the kind of monster that has her reasons. The children who beg on the street may very well be orphans and probably do need people to help them go to school, HOWEVER. Most of them, at least when they’re young, are able to rake in a very nice chunk of change in a day. Lori told me last week that she knew one kid who could make 100,000 /= in one day! (/= is the symbol for Uganda shillings and the exchange rate is about 2500/= per $1) Considering the fact that 100,000/= is what some adults make in a month here, I don’t feel that bad about refusing their cries for help. I would say a good majority of these children are not hurting financially, at least until they get older and aren’t as cute.

On the flip side there are the cases of child beggars who are not orphans, but would probably be better off if they were. A few weeks ago at Edith and Timmy’s birthday pool party I met a woman who was trying to navigate the treacherous waters of adopting one such child. In a nutshell the boy was sent out by his mother everyday and badly beaten if he came back with less money than she had delegated. It got to the point where he was sleeping on the street instead of going home because things had gotten so bad. After a lot of hoop jumping the woman and her husband were made the boy’s foster parents and things have never been better for the child.

As I’ve come to learn through life, there are flip sides to every situation, and street children are no exception. While my episode today definitely will not make my Uganda Favorites Top 10 List, it will serve as a learning and eye opening experience.