Recommendations for No HUSSLE bar on beach!!

[kaycee]

$10??? They are only worth like $0.50 a bar, lol!! No need to apologize...just want you guys to know...

[Westenders]

It's difficult to ignore the children though, child poverty is a huge issue in Jamaica, and is not as stand out noticeable because of the poverty affecting a lot of Jamaicans.

My own view is that, as I do not not know the real reasons the child is selling stuff to raise money, it may be genuine, it may be to fund a parents drug use, it may be them doing what they need to do to help feed the family.
I nearly always buy off the children, as even if I've only helped one out of ten children that day eat a meal, then I'm happy with that.

I don't view it as begging, they are selling something, even if it is not anything I want- in my view they are demonstrating entrepreneur skills, and is better than committing street crimes, which is very common in other struggling countries, and our own countries too.

In the Uk, children have a safety net provided by the welfare system and social services, Jamaican children are not as fortunate.

Many of you won't agree, but I'm not ignoring children for the sake of a couple dollars.

[gregandkelly63]

It's difficult to ignore the children though, child poverty is a huge issue in Jamaica, and is not as stand out noticeable because of the poverty affecting a lot of Jamaicans.

My own view is that, as I do not not know the real reasons the child is selling stuff to raise money, it may be genuine, it may be to fund a parents drug use, it may be them doing what they need to do to help feed the family.
I nearly always buy off the children, as even if I've only helped one out of ten children that day eat a meal, then I'm happy with that.

I don't view it as begging, they are selling something, even if it is not anything I want- in my view they are demonstrating entrepreneur skills, and is better than committing street crimes, which is very common in other struggling countries, and our own countries too.

In the Uk, children have a safety net provided by the welfare system and social services, Jamaican children are not as fortunate.

Many of you won't agree, but I'm not ignoring children for the sake of a couple dollars.

I couldn't agree more. We always buy candy bars or a few bracelets. It might be a few dollars to me, but it might be a meal to that family. It's hard for me to say no to those beautiful children.

[kaycee]

I do buy from them as well...rather buy from them than seeing an adult beg.

[Bnewb]

Unfortunately, some of these children have become overly pushy. But having said that, these children are actually selling something & learning a skill rather than outright begging. Personally, I would rather see them in school!

There's many different forms of begging in all age groups...from the "woe is me" stories to the aggressive down right "give me a dollar" type begging...it's always better to give a hand up rather than a hand out.
And, by a hand up I mean teaching someone how to obtain what they need/want is better than giving someone a straight hand out.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

[Gwhizman]

Sondru's at the Beach Club

http://negrilbeachcondo.com/

[goldilocks]

I usually skip the chocolate but make a small donation....

Some of the really persistent children may be afraid they will get punished if they don't bring some money home.

[Westenders]

I personally have never experienced any of these children be pushy, sadly more on the pleading side.

I agree , education is important, but maybe a lot of these children are in school, I've certainly seen them in their school khaki's selling the chocs. A lot of kids in Jamaica attend school half a day anyway, pretty standard. Not a full day like in some of our countries.
Education is an important way to escape poverty, but as a child, and even an adult, if your hungry what is your priority going to be? Learning cannot take place if your belly is empty.

I think they are giving themselves a leg up by selling stuff, perfectly valid way of generating income if you ask me. Where is the hand out?I always take the chocolate. So a sale is a sale. All vendors, shops and sellers add in profit on their product. That's capitalism. We all live the same way.

You could call all charitable giving a hand out using this philosophy.
Perfect moment to big up St.Anthony's kitchen as they are helping and empowering some of the poorer children. They don't have the capacity to help everyone, so some of the children do have to help themselves.

Is what they are doing any different to having a paper round or yard job to earn some money?

Sometimes it's easier to look at this as a problem. I don't think it necessarily is.

My only concerns with it are if a child is selling for an adult to fund their lifestyle choice ie. drugs. But even more so if it means that child gets a meal that day, then that's what is important.

[TAH]

I personally have never experienced any of these children be pushy, sadly more on the pleading side.

I agree , education is important, but maybe a lot of these children are in school, I've certainly seen them in their school khaki's selling the chocs. A lot of kids in Jamaica attend school half a day anyway, pretty standard. Not a full day like in some of our countries.
Education is an important way to escape poverty, but as a child, and even an adult, if your hungry what is your priority going to be? Learning cannot take place if your belly is empty.

I think they are giving themselves a leg up by selling stuff, perfectly valid way of generating income if you ask me. Where is the hand out?I always take the chocolate. So a sale is a sale. All vendors, shops and sellers add in profit on their product. That's capitalism. We all live the same way.

You could call all charitable giving a hand out using this philosophy.
Perfect moment to big up St.Anthony's kitchen as they are helping and empowering some of the poorer children. They don't have the capacity to help everyone, so some of the children do have to help themselves.

Is what they are doing any different to having a paper round or yard job to earn some money?

Sometimes it's easier to look at this as a problem. I don't think it necessarily is.

My only concerns with it are if a child is selling for an adult to fund their lifestyle choice ie. drugs. But even more so if it means that child gets a meal that day, then that's what is important.

Agreed on all points.

[Bnewb]

I personally have never experienced any of these children be pushy, sadly more on the pleading side.

I agree , education is important, but maybe a lot of these children are in school, I've certainly seen them in their school khaki's selling the chocs. A lot of kids in Jamaica attend school half a day anyway, pretty standard. Not a full day like in some of our countries.
Education is an important way to escape poverty, but as a child, and even an adult, if your hungry what is your priority going to be? Learning cannot take place if your belly is empty.

Since I'm here on a daily basis & know most of these children...I should clarify that I'm referring to a specific group of children in Negril...not all Jamaican children. The community of Negril have had to deal with some of them becoming very aggressive with the selling of their goods and the children that I'm referring to have not been going to school. Many of us have taken the time to try to teach some of these children to lower the aggression & also more importantly get them back to school.

In Negril and the surrounding areas we are fortunate to have a soup kitchen & neighbours that have produce that are willing to share...it can be tough in the inner cities of Jamaica though!