Hand Up

By: JBogle

I spend the past few days in Vancouver and was constantly reminded of my days in Kenya and India.  Beggars were abundant.  Coincidentally, I’ve been in contact with a Kenyan who lives beside Lake Turkana, a region known for draughts, minimal tourism and a hard lifestyle.  My former guide now has a baby girl, a new wife and health problems.  He’s been contacting me every few months requesting money be sent through Western Union.  I carry guilt with me each time I reply I’m a student in debt; a debt that doesn’t stop me from taking advantage of $300 seat sales to Vancouver knowing full well that this $300 would be more then a monthly income for a Turkan family.

But what I’ve come to terms with is the fact that beggars on the street in any nation, or the families who struggle in their homeland, need a hand up, not a hand out.  The struggling members of any society need to be assisted in finding was for them to become financially supported in a sustainable fashion, while hopefully contributing to their community.  A hand up will empower others through education.  A hand up can be acting as a sounding board while new ideas are developed.  It will be much better to foster a community based on empowerment for long term change and development rather than wiping our guilt away with the instant gratification of giving money.  We can also go so much further if we break down barriers and grow together

-JBogle