♫ Christmas is comingAnd the geese are getting fat
Please put a penny in the poor man’s hat
If you haven’t got a penny,
A pesewa will doIf you have no pesewa
May God bless you ♫
♫ Every day is Christmas
And our pockets must be full
Please put a cedi in the poor man’s hat
If you haven’t got a Cedi
A pesewa will doIf you have no pesewa
May God curse you ♫
Most of you might not be familiar with the second verse of this popular local carol, but it’s one our dear brothers on the streets know all too well. The increasing population of beggars on our streets is becoming worrying, is it that there are growing numbers of disabled people in the system or the business of begging is becoming very lucrative. Gone were the days when beggars were frail looking old folks. These days the beggars on our streets are younger and less frail. This makes me side with the assertion that the business of begging is becoming very profitable. Why else will an able bodied younger man lame in both legs prefer to whiz through traffic begging for money than learn a trade which does not require the use of both legs.
Ever wondered why they never seem to upgrade their mobility aids. There is a beggar in town who always hops around on a big stick; can’t he save enough money to buy a pair of crutches? What about those guys, who move around on rollers on the streets, can’t they afford a locally made wheel chair? Are they really disabled or some are faking it? What happens to the monies they receive? Ghanaians are very giving so I know they receive loads of money, where does it end up? Do they spend their money at the drinking bars and brothels? Do they have families they support? Do they have alternative livelihoods? How come beggars no longer perform an act for monies?
Gone are the days when beggars used to sing/drum/dance for a token fee, at least those ones earned their keep, these days they hit the streets and expect people to dish out money to them. These are some of the thoughts that course through my head when I see a beggar approaching. A beggar will be polite to you up until the moment you refuse to part with your hard earned cedi. Some even go as far as reigning insults and curses on you. Is it a must that one should always give alms? Personally, I am of the opinion that giving alms is not a long term solution to assisting the disabled. The adage ‘Give a man a fish today and he will be hungry tomorrow, teach him how to fish and he will never go hungry’ holds true here. There must be a better way we can help the disabled and rid the system of fraudsters posing as disabled people
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