To help or not to help – that is the question
Should the community assist the homeless and the unemployed or are we feeding a monster?
A RICHARDS Bay father shopping for toys with his son, says he felt downright guilty when a desperate young man stopped him at the entrance and begged for formula milk for his baby.
‘Here I was buying another set of Lego for my son, while this poor man could not even feed his daughter.’
The preferred formula was surprisingly pricey and the father also mentioned the baby was out of nappies.
‘I did feel a bit awkward when I asked her name and was met with some hesitation.
Nevertheless, with R600 worth of nappies and a large set of Lego, they proceeded to the pay point, when a shop assistant stopped them.
‘I then discovered I had been tricked – the ‘poor father’ had neither a wife nor a baby.
‘As soon as you leave, he will exchange it for the cash. He does it all the time,’ he was told.
Are Samaritans doing any good?
Good Samaritans often help people from the frying pan into the coals by feeding their dependent behaviour, instead of empowering them to earn their own living.
An experienced social worker says the problem with homeless, unemployed and addicted members of society is complex, and one with few solutions.
The Zululand Observer asked her for comments on the city’s growing community of beggars and a two-year clash between Meerensee residents and the occupants of a derelict house, where an elderly women died.
‘Helpers often react on emotions of pity, but feeding a dependency enforces destructive behaviour.
‘When the help dries up, they pack up and go elsewhere.
‘People in such colonies have been kicked out everywhere, and with good reason.’
The flip-side of the coin
But the Samaritans say these people have nowhere else to go. There are no shelters for the homeless and it is inhumane to turn a blind eye.
Many say they know what it’s like to be in dire straights.
‘Don’t judge if you have not been in that position. That’s why I help,’ says a woman who is first to donate towards a cause.
She admits often helping someone with food, shelter and even employment – to her own detriment.
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