Give more than alms to them please

"Give but if possible spare the poor man the shame of begging "Dennis Diderot.

As I walked towards my hospital where I will be doing my cardio workout I passed by many beggars. I am tempted to drop some few coins but there is an anti mendicany law against it and as a law abiding citizen I can't risk its fine.

I am against giving financial aid to people who beg on street as there is no dignity in it for them. Id rather see them doing work for food programs, or be cared for by professionals if they are not capable of supporting oneself as in the case of the mentally challenged, the aging seniors or or the street .So I'll dole instead bread or food because I can't close my eyes on hunger if I can do something about it.

I am sad that there aren't much government run institutions too cater to people like them. In other affluent countries there would be place for them to go for the night and food to fill their belly even if they choose to be on the street than at charitable institutions. In the A countries, there would be employment centers where they can type their resume online for free or better yet government stipend when they lose their jobs or tuition loans if they wish to pursue their studies.

I bet had they been given an opportunity to better their existence as in these rich countries they would as we had heard stories of successful people who turned their life around from homeless to statesman, doctors, celebrities so it's possible. Hence, when I see these people my heart just ache because they are humans too yet hybrid cats and dogs gets better treatment.

My imagination sometimes run wild like what if series of unfortunate events lead us to same situation ?When I go into that mind route, I find tears rolling down my cheeks so I try much not to think about it as in the law of attraction you magnet what cost much of your attention. But then again, we shouldn't act as if we're blind either. Because Christians as we are, we need to look after each other.And in personal tone, to safeguard oneself from such insolvency.

So where do you draw the line?

I dream of a country where education is free to everyone until tertiary level. If they still didn't managed to provide for themselves then it's their choice. Education had much to say on addressing this issue.By widening their perspective on the world they live in they'd realize they need not be chip of the old block. Awareness of the potential in you can be a powerful experience as it influences the daily life choices you make. Hopefully with education we can decrease teenage pregnancy, increase financially literacy and provide dignified labor for everyone irrespective of sex, age, gender or religious belief.

Poverty might be as old as the Bible yet if we just look around it doesn't have to be your story. Life is harsh it's given but if we earnestly do our work and get more financial literacy then we need not worry sleeping on the street I suppose. We just have to own up that as much as the government promised us those constitutional rights to life, liberty and proper at the the end of the day it's up to us to keep healthy mind body and spirit and to secure for ourselves wealth to make us enjoy life.

As Christians, let's not be content giving them our hand me downs ,or of food left over or what's left of our penny. Let's do our share to provide avenues like a job or scholarship for them in exchange for their time and God given talents. Only when we invest on others as much as we do on ourselves can we assure a life free of poverty and the other ill that comes with it.

Till next post,
Ayn