I can still vividly recall the first time I encountered street children. It was in New Delhi. I was sat outside a café in Paharganj - a cheap, maze-like area popular with backpackers - when two small children approached my table: a girl of 6 or 7 and a boy no older than 4. The boy's face was crudely made up like a clown, and as his companion hit a battered tambourine, he bobbed in time to its beat. Then came the small hands, extended palm open and lifted to the mouth in the unmistakable gesture of ‘Money for food!’ As a western tourist unaccustomed to such sights, my reaction was a churning mixture of shock, guilt and embarrassment. I thought it would be wrong to give these children money - images of a New Delhi Fagan loomed in nearby alleyways, waiting to claw the coins from their hands – and yet they were such a desperately pitiful sight, so much so that I was tempted to pay just to be out of the situation. It seemed to me then that whatever my reaction, I would be left feeling guilty about it. Perhaps even more disturbing however, was how quickly I later became accustomed to the presence of such children. They are a part of life in the urban centres of India and Nepal, as well as many other developing countries throughout the world. But who really are these children and what is the best way to approach them?UNICEF has previously defined street children according to three categories – those living on the streets, those working on the streets and those living on the streets with their families - although subsequent research has shown that there is overlap between these groups. Of these categories, those living alone on the streets are most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Street children in general are often viewed by the wider society as thieves and degenerates and as such they are left marginalised, impoverished and without access to opportunities; not surprising then that some steal or else resort to other marginal or criminal activities, thus potentially reinforcing negative perceptions. So how then should we view these children? Clearly there is more to them than victimhood or simple criminality. A 2003 report by Save The Children and SathSath observed that life on the street may afford children elements of independence such as access to income and control over decision making. The report argues that perceptions of the problem will influence how it is addressed; hence solutions seeking solely to ‘rescue’ such children overlook many of the realities of the life they actually lead.
While there are many places where you can volunteer to teach or otherwise help street children, the question remains of what to do when little hands are tugging at your sleeves. Before anything else, it’s important to remember that whatever their situation, street children are still children. In an interview with Canada’s Globe and Mail, travel writer and co-founder of Ethical Traveller, Jeff Greenwald, suggested that one should first ask how what you’re doing will affect the child in terms of the attitudes and behaviours it will promote. What is one encouraging when one gives money to street children? Instead of handouts, which may be taken by parents or gangmasters, or even spent on alcohol or drugs, he recommends “Sharing a bit of yourself, opening a window into your own world.” Rather than the traditional guilt ridden options of the western tourist, one might instead take the time to introduce oneself, share an interest, toy or game, or perhaps even show photographs or postcards (being careful to avoid misunderstandings about whether any such objects are gifts). If you do want to give something like school supplies, Greenwald suggests giving them to parents, older siblings or adults, thus encouraging the children to look to adults within their own community. There are of course many other possibilities, from learning local slang to sharing a meal (although speaking from personal experience, you can soon end up with rather more dinner guests than you planned for and a slightly irate stall owner!). All that’s really needed is a little time and imagination.
