I took a long bike ride the other day, about as far as I've been from my village yet without a bus. I was asked for money somewhere around 10 times, which is a lot especially when you consider that I was on a bike and listening to my iPod, not walking and engaging everyone in conversation.
At one point I was having a bit of bike trouble (several points actually, one of my brake cables kept poppping out) and while I was working on getting it back in a mama came up to me, and she really wanted money. I was hot, tired, and frustrated with my bike at that time. She told me that she had called me as I rode by. Not that I'm uncaring, but even if I had heard her I wouldn't have stopped. 3/4 of the children I pass feel absolutely compelled to shout "Mzungu" -- white person -- when they see me. It doesn't really bother me most of the time, but I definitely don't stop for every person who sees me and recognizes that I'm white.
She began explaining how of course I know that the people here have become very accustomed to drinking ulanzi (the local bamboo-wine) and that the price is so small, but some people still just can't afford it... I interrupted her at this point to say that I don't hand out money, especially not for booze. Then she said that she was just talking in general, and that she herself doesn't drink. No, she wants assistance for her family. Even 10,000 shillings would help (a lot of money, about $8.50-- more on how much money is worth later). I explained that I just was out for a day ride so I really only brought 500/=, (about $0.40) enough for chai and a snack in the village I went to.
But this mama was persistent. I told her where I was coming from, and she got very excited, because her son is a student at my school! Now it doesn't matter that I don't have money on me, I can give it to her son! I tried to explain that her son was at my school, the school where I'm freely giving 2 years of my life to teach--that this is the assistance that I see as really helping, not some money because you got lucky and saw a white person, but teaching! providing education to her and many other children. I tried to explain that she was the 10th person that day to beg money of me, and it's not even 1:00 in the afternoon yet! That there is no way I could give money to even 1% of the people who ask me for it. She didn't get it. She kept asking for money. But what she kept saying, and which did get to me later, is that I have to keep seeing the people.
She really annoyed me. I was in a bad mood for hours afterwards, feeling like there was no point in leaving my village at all when wherever I go people just want money from me. But what the mama was saying was right, sort of. I'd completely lost sight of the people; I was feeling that the poor people were there for the purpose of bothering me. So my goal has been, for the few weeks since then, has been to not blame people for their problems, even if, as Annie put it "everyone has a problem that a little of your money will solve." The only reason me and the poor villagers are in our respective places is the accident of where we were born.
All that said, the cultural attitudes towards begging here are frustrating. There's no shame at all connected with asking for money, accepting money, borrowing money and not paying it back, etc. I can't help but think that if there was a little more "pride" in that area, if people were a little ashamed of needing assistance, or even if there was just a bit more pride shown in doing something by yourself, without help, that would motivate people and speed up development considerably.
Also, check out the next post back for an article by a Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Tanzania in the 60's and came back in the 90's.
Salama,
Gregor
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