Beggars in Ethiopia

There is no doubt about it, Ethiopia is a poor country, and like my beloved India, there is a culture of begging. Whilst many are passive, sitting on the streets with an outstretched hand whilst other are far more active, going round bus stops and the streets asking for hand-outs. Most locals hand out small change and i opt to do the same to the elderly or disabled.

Far more annoying is the locals who directly approach faranjis. Usually younger ones, they come out with stories of being orphaned and failing to afford their schooling. Some are genuine, (Derbo my Addis fixer for one), but most are not. They plead for “sponsorship”, and indeed some are successful – every Ethiopian knows of a friend of a friend of a friend who has a “rags to riches” story. This explains the outrageous persistency.

What i really dislike is the children who clamour around the faranjis with the line “one Birr – one Birr” or worse still, simply “Give me money”. One can only imagine that this ploy is successful for them. To pass money out like this is totally irresponsible and should be avoided by the travellist at all costs.