Daily Sights and Sounds

Most days after work I head to the gym after dinner. On my short journey to the gym I pass the corner of Av 24 de Julho and Julius Nyarere. Most times of the day this corner is bustling with 'mobile merchants' selling artifacts for tourists, prepaid cellphone time, and pretty much anything else you could want. On some days I am stopped more times than I care to remember as I must look very foreign. On other days hardly anyone stops me as I must blend in a little better.

There are two kids that I see almost every night as I return from the local cafe where I browse the internet. I know they have spotted me when I hear out "chef! chef!" (Boss! Boss!) They call out to me and then extend their hand asking for some change to buy pao (bread). So here is my dilemna...How do I rationalize not giving away whatever change I have to these kids so that they can buy a meal.

I have spoken with a few of my friends here and they have differing opinions on the matter. Firstly, we are all volunteers and we have to worry about feeding ourselves before we can take on the insurmountable - feeding the whole of Maputo. I agree with these sentiments, however, I am certain I could survive on less than I currently consume. As a matter of fact, these children have to everyday.

Another rebuttal I hear is that a lot of these kids make a decent living (by Mozambican standards) begging on the street. They are capable of 'earning' around $1000 Meticais per day which is equivalent to $40 Canadian. To put that in perspective, the average Mozambican earns approximately $800 (20,000 Meticais) per YEAR. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/mz.html). I believe there is some truth to these remarks. When a child goes to the streets (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) there is a disincentive to integrating back into society and attending school. To the boys, it does not make sense to go to school when they can earn $1000 Meticais NOW.

Thirdly, there are alternatives for the children. There are programs that offer free meals and coaching. To a certain extent the children choose to lead these lives. Although this is true, there are not enough programs for the volume of children who are impoverished.

Another argument is that there are more effective ways of helping the people of Mozambique. For example, the foundation I work for not only provides free scholarships to select girls in rural parts of Mozambique, but they stimulate the economy through the acquisition of goods and services and the employment of locals. In other words, instead of giving away a $1, create a job that allows people to sustain themselves and not be self-sufficient.