Please ma'am

As a rule I came to India telling myself I would not give to beggars. I had read warnings against it enough times to realise it probably wasn't the best idea. It may sound heartless, and don't you worry, as I walk past those beggars I feel heartless, but it comes with so many other problems that the best thing to do is to ignore.

The main problem is once you give to one, they all see and continue to hound you. Often, also, these beggars are working for someone. It doesn't make me feel any better about not giving to them though.

Today I broke my rule. As I was waiting to cross the road a young boy, no older than four, came up to me and wrapped his arms around my leg. Then another girl, about eight, came along too. What do you do when there is such a young boy clinging to you, with the most heart breaking look on his face? So I gave him 10 Rupees, and the other girl 10 Rupees.

Then I realised why I had read so many warnings against giving to beggars. Two other girls proceeded to follow me up the street. They were only about six and had to run to keep up with my pace. "Please ma'am, please ma'am, please ma'am, please ma'am," they said on repeat. Probably the only English phrase they knew. I could see two other children up the street also begging and knew if I gave to these girls, I could be hounded all the way up the street as more and more caught on that I would give. So I did what I told myself I would always do, I ignored.

What I regret, and what pains me, is not that I gave the first two some loose change, but that I ignored the rest.