Shanty Town

[saeyedoc]

Great idea about them selling something usueful to a bus full of drunk people.

[Bnewb]

Having little kids sent by the parents to pull on the heartstrings of tourists for a cash handout is not cool, and begging is probably not a great lesson to learn at such a young age. We're not talking one or two... we're talking more than a dozen young children, and slightly older ones selling bracelets.

Why not have them sell something useful? Snacks on a pub crawl? Hells yes! How many bags of chips or cookies or candy bars do you think they could have sold, and actually earned the money, and learned a much more positive lesson?

Harry...I think one or two is just as bad as a dozen children begging. And, they have sold more than bracelets...they were selling chocolate bars a few years back.
We talked to more than a couple of children about getting their butts back in school...we encouraged them to become educated business people instead of skipping classes and begging off tourists and losing out on their schooling, etc. Thankfully we were lucky with a couple of boys.

In the ensuing years...more children started to show up as tourists continued to bring items and hand over money to them. As I mentioned in my previous post, the issue intensified because Lenbert was asked to take people into areas that get bypassed and don't directly benefit from tourism...these visitors had items they wanted to give to the children. As more tourists heard about bringing gifts/candy/money during the pub crawl...the children were naturally excited to receive these gifts...and again the number of children increased following the bus around.

It's become a double edged sword for Lenbert...as now the children are expecting gifts/money and many of the Love Bus Crawlers are wanting to give to the children...when or how does Lenbert stop it?

Personally...I wish people would donate to places such as the NEET project or St. Anthony's soup kitchen or any of the outlining schools...rather than handing gifts/money over to a random child.

[TAH]

Harry...I think one or two is just as bad as a dozen children begging. And, they have sold more than bracelets...they were selling chocolate bars a few years back.
We talked to more than a couple of children about getting their butts back in school...we encouraged them to become educated business people instead of skipping classes and begging off tourists and losing out on their schooling, etc. Thankfully we were lucky with a couple of boys.

In the ensuing years...more children started to show up as tourists continued to bring items and hand over money to them. As I mentioned in my previous post, the issue intensified because Lenbert was asked to take people into areas that get bypassed and don't directly benefit from tourism...these visitors had items they wanted to give to the children. As more tourists heard about bringing gifts/candy/money during the pub crawl...the children were naturally excited to receive these gifts...and again the number of children increased following the bus around.

It's become a double edged sword for Lenbert...as now the children are expecting gifts/money and many of the Love Bus Crawlers are wanting to give to the children...when or how does Lenbert stop it?

Personally...I wish people would donate to places such as the NEET project or St. Anthony's soup kitchen or any of the outlining schools...rather than handing gifts/money over to a random child.

Agreed 100%, all of it. I really wish more tourists could/would understand this concept. Most of the people who do it, do it with the very best intentions, but just don't see the long term negative impact. There is also a positive impact, but that is much shorter lived.

[jojo p]

Quite a pet peeve of mine, to many folks ignorant to the term harm it can cause.
Giiving money or gifts , some that can be resold like pens, perpetuate a cycle of poverty and give children a strong incentive to stay out of school.

'' The imperative to not give money or gifts to child beggars doesn't mean we have to turn our backs on them. Donate to responsible NGO'S ( non governmental orginizations) , and look
for creative new ways to be kind to children that won't disrupt familial dynamics, encourage long term poverty, undercut local businesses, or abet human trafficking. ""

I can understand that many visitors have good friends they might bring gifts to. this is different than just random, money, gift giving.
Also, just a side note, I have noticed the last few years that the young boys on the beach, getting actually angry if you don't buy their bracelets, not good IMO.

[gregandkelly63]

I bought several bracelets from an older gentleman several trips ago. We take them with us when we go to Jamaica. When we start getting ask to buy bracelets we show the potential seller that we already have one. That is usually the end of the sales pitch. Usually.

[Marko]

giving handouts in Negril is self defeating....causes more problems than you can imagine.....
mi live in Negril most of the time and most kids here don't understand why mi not giving out stuff like the foreigners do....
makes it really hard on mi and the other expats that live in and around Negril.......
and what happens to some of these kids that get handouts......they don't want to work as they grow older and rather get handouts....
you are setting up these kids to get into trouble as they become teenagers and become trouble makers and even worse...trust mi
like Bnewb said...give to the NET and the soup kitchen etc or the schools themselves....jah bless

Cool Runnings, Marko

[booger]

giving handouts in Negril is self defeating....causes more problems than you can imagine.....
mi live in Negril most of the time and most kids here don't understand why mi not giving out stuff like the foreigners do....
makes it really hard on mi and the other expats that live in and around Negril.......
and what happens to some of these kids that get handouts......they don't want to work as they grow older and rather get handouts....
you are setting up these kids to get into trouble as they become teenagers and become trouble makers and even worse...trust mi
like Bnewb said...give to the NET and the soup kitchen etc or the schools themselves....jah bless

Cool Runnings, Marko

Please do not give the kids handouts, regardless of how it makes you feel inside. This encourages the begging culture and does not motivate them to succeed. Would you do the same back home?

[Carrie]

I am so with those that do not give monetary handouts or buy for the sake of the smile. It so interrupts a way of life that we intrude on. Be it a good or bad idea, I brought some balloons and sidewalk chalk and had a few precious moments of colour and being engaged. I can guarantee you will be more remembered than your 100$ Jamaican and you too will be charmed.

[TAH]

I am so with those that do not give monetary handouts or buy for the sake of the smile. It so interrupts a way of life that we intrude on. Be it a good or bad idea, I brought some balloons and sidewalk chalk and had a few precious moments of colour and being engaged. I can guarantee you will be more remembered than your 100$ Jamaican and you too will be charmed.

You really shouldn't give anything out at all. It all feeds the problem, whether it's money, candy, chalk, whatever. If you want to do something to help, as others have said, give to the churches or other community groups. Having them "remember you" is precisely what creates the problems that Marko described above.

[Bnewb]

I am so with those that do not give monetary handouts or buy for the sake of the smile. It so interrupts a way of life that we intrude on. Be it a good or bad idea, I brought some balloons and sidewalk chalk and had a few precious moments of colour and being engaged. I can guarantee you will be more remembered than your 100$ Jamaican and you too will be charmed.

I believe completely opposite and see everyday what the handouts cause...read the linked article below.

Do give money to organisations that help the community...this can warm your heart and any amount of money can help...there is no minimum or maximum in the amounts needed.
Do not give handouts/gifts unless you know the family...not every parent/guardian is pleased with their children getting handouts.

We were all taught as children not to take candy, toys etc from a stranger (stranger danger)...I'm not sure why it would be different here. If I choose to give anything to a child...no different than I would anywhere...I ask the parent/guardian of the child for permission or have the child get permission to be allowed to take it from me.

JojoP (thanks Jojo) found a really, really good article that everyone should read...maybe it'll help with an understanding of why we shouldn't give handouts...

http://www.slate.com/articles/double...n_t_do_it.html