Little Beggar

We see this boy often on our drives around Delhi. He "performs" everyday at the same median twirling a little ball at the end of a string with the bob of his head and somersaulting through a small metal ring. His mom sits nearby with his little sister while he does his act and then he goes to car windows to beg. "Chapati", he says putting his empty hand to his mouth. He might be five years old but his eyes look like he's 40. His little outstretched fingers still have the pudge of a toddler. We sit in the auto holding our healthy little boys and my heart is breaking. His precious hand is so close. He's right there, yet the life my children will live and the life of poverty he will try to overcome are so very far apart. We can't stop thinking, "This is so wrong, this is not fair, life is not fair."

There are many street children everywhere we go. In the market they follow us bare footed, in traffic they run for our auto when they see our white skin. Many of these children beg for their next meal, but most beg to feed their parent's addiction... everyday, every year, generation after generation the vicious cycle continues. No one tells them they can be so much more, that there is hope for a better life.

We are constantly challenged inwardly. What should our response be? The locals tell us not to give. They say the children are rewarded when we give and it fuels the perspective that they can make a living this way. Sometimes we give them food. Sometimes we wish we could turn it all off like we do when a World Vision Child Sponsorship infomercial on TV gets too heartbreaking to watch.

These children live, eat and breathe on the streets. They don't have the luxury of a TV remote to change the channel.