Beggar at the Door

Having been in Kenya over 11 years now, you’d think that I’d have this one sorted. But no. I still struggle every time I’m faced with someone asking me for money, be that the lady with the baby at the traffic lights, the young person with the blind older relative in the jam, the child begging in the queue for the security check on the way into the shopping centre, my househelp, someone on my walk between the office and home, or as happened yesterday, a complete stranger who accosted me at the gate of our work compound, having asked for me by name. What is the right thing to do? My relative wealth is apparent against their glaring need. Yet, there’s an underlying sense of being targeted as a white person, and in yesterday’s case, as a missionary – clearly a soft target! And evidently my finances aren't sufficient to stretch to meet all the needs I see around me. Nor is it necessarily right to do so. My general rule of thumb is that I support those who I have relationship with already, and for the rest, I choose to support organisations that I know of that are working in the slums, or with the disadvantaged elsewhere. Still, there’s the sense of prevailing guilt that maybe these people don’t have access to such organisations.  Should I be giving them something? And of course, I need to ensure that the assuaging of the guilt in my mind because I support such organisations rather than individuals, is followed up by the actual support transferring hands / bank accounts!

Yesterday’s situation was a new one. I’d heard that this young man had been looking for me previously, but this was my first meeting with him. I’m still not entirely sure how he came by my name. I’d certainly never met him before. From  one of the people groups in northern Kenya, he mentioned the names of colleagues who spent many years working up there. His ‘story’ was that he was studying for a diploma at a veterinary college in Nairobi, was unable to pay the rent, and was now locked out of the accommodation. He needed 700/= (about £5) to travel back to his home area. In the meantime, he had no money, so had walked from the campus (a good distance away). Or at least, this was what he said. Was this a genuine need, or was I being sold a story? (Interestingly this happened within an hour or so of receiving one of those emails purportedly from friends in a crisis. That email so clearly wasn't from these friends that it was laughable. A very clear scam.) In the end, having gone home for lunch, and considered that it’s better to respond to an apparent need than to turn a cold shoulder, I did give him some money to get some food. I did however ask why he wasn’t asking others who were passing through the gate, pointing out that a number of the Kenyans earn rather more than I do! This clearly wasn’t something he’d contemplated – missionaries were definitely easier to ask, perhaps more likely to respond, or maybe, more naïve regarding the way the system works?! I then wrote to the colleagues, who’re now living back in the U.S. They don’t actually know him, and related a story of a similar young man (or maybe even the same one) who was doing the same thing a couple of years ago, with a similar story, targeting particular individuals, mentioning their names. And not using the money for the purposes stated! I was advised to keep clear of him, and advise others to do the same. The rationale being that if he was a good man, then his community would actually take care of him. (He was apparently back again this evening, looking for me.)

It is a constant struggle of how to maintain a soft heart, and be open to hear and respond to the genuine needs that are ever around, and  yet not be drawn into scams. A lesson I’m continuing to learn, and one that I’m fairly sure I’ll never be a master of.