As I tried to cross the road to get to where I could enter a tricycle, I noticed a little girl following me behind. I wondered to myself why in a split second of ignorance, and then remembered that I was in Lagos Island. It had become a norm to see little children begging at different points in EKO.
I shook my head in pity and battled the internal decision of whether to give this little girl some money or send her back.
Shamefully I sent her back after handing the biscuit I had in my hand. Now before I am attacked for my decision let me tell you why; In Lagos where I leave, women especially of a certain region use their children to beg for money. They sit by the corner side where they wouldn’t be noticed and send their little ones into the roads to use the advantage of their little faces and tiny hands to solicit for aid from incomers who out of genuine pity help out.
You see, what you do not realize is that with every single naira I give out to these children, their mothers will send them out for more. So I figured, if I do not give them money but I give the children food they will eat and be satisfied and their mothers will not see sending them out as a profitable business. Now, where I have failed in my solution is in the aspect where the children are physically abused (beaten) because they did not bring money back home to their mothers or guardian.
My focus will be on children for now, but know that over here we also have something called corporate begging; where people put physically disabled people in different spots on the road to beg for money. There was a day, I had to stand and protect a physically and mentally disabled man on a wheel chair so a bus reversing wouldn’t hit him, only to realise that there were about two more disabled persons begging in different spots in the same vicinity. It is indeed bothering. Poverty has indeed a loud voice in Africa.
Children within the ages of 2-12 years can be seen begging. Most children end up not having a proper orientation of what it means to earn a living and most grow taking up begging even to older ages. This instils in the child an attitude of continuing dependence on other people and only a few are able to break out. The act of begging stifles the child’s education as he or she has to be on the road begging during school hours. Also children are at a higher risk of being killed by a car or manhandled by people or even being kidnapped.
How can this menace of child begging be curtailed? We need to empower women. Yes empower, girls, women and mothers. The concept is if I can teach a woman to work for herself and earn an income, she can feed her children and be fed. There are no jobs too menial to do to ensure that your kids are off the road, be it plaiting of hair, making of shoes, making snacks or food to sell, or reselling of purchased goods. But before empowerment is sensitization. I believe that there should be massive education of women on the streets.
Let’s call it ‘operation plant a female seed’ if you will. Let government bodies in conjunction with private firm that engage in corporate social responsibility engage in a 3-day program for empowering women, especially the women that sit on the road and send their children out to beg.
One will ask how would we attract these women to come to a venue to learn how to be empowered? That’s very easy, do a rally and promise free feeding for the first and the second day of the program but leave out feeding the participants for the third day; and watch for those who return for the third day without a promise of food (sounds funny yes? Even I am laughing at myself). Those that are the serious ones who want to make their lives better will come back. Then take a census of the population and offer a grant of =N=30,000 for a small scale start-up business to those women alongside a free SME consulting service. The organising body can make a contract with those women whom the grants and business service has been offered stating that after 6 months they would take up another woman under their wing; to teach another willing person how to be empowered. This will ensure that a circle of continuity would be ensured through intense continuous monitoring.
This short essay has spanned into a long proposal, but it is for the greater good. Also I would encourage that ‘operation plant a female seed’ should start right now with each of us, can individually or collectively pick a female out and try to empower her.
The end target really are the children. If our mothers can work then we can eat. Fathers are also equally important in this formula but I will concentrate for now on women empowerment. I really don’t believe any child should go hungry and that change can start from you and me.
About the Author
Amanda Anyanwutaku is a Nigerian from Anambra state with a B.S.c in Accounting and works as a Tax consultant. Her hobbies are writing and proofreading, be it short stories, poetry, children stories and articles, where so ever she finds the time and opportunity.
