Poor boys chased away

ON SUNDAY, October 22 I went to the Kwik Spar in Strandfontein Road, Ottery, with my wife Tina and my two granddaughters Brinay and Nikita after attending a church service in St Timothy’s Church to buy some odds and ends.

When I got out of my vehicle I saw two young boys aged 13 and 3 years respectively and who I happen to know as residents of Freedom Park informal settlement in Ottery. As they saw me the older boy looked at me with droopy eyes as to ask for some money. Normally, as is my nature, if I have I will give but I cannot do so every time.

I said to this young boy that I cannot give him every time I stop at Kwik Spar but as I said this loudly I saw this quite well built lady sitting on a chair and in front of her was a table at the entrance to Kwik Spar. As I approached her table she had the solid looking black money box and she had pictures of poor people and, yes, she was collecting and officially asking the shoppers for donations for the poor at a shelter. What struck me was that I have seen these ladies many times before and they are allowed to beg for the poor officially but the poor are chased away like dogs by security guards of Kwik Spar.

I said loudly to the young boys – the poorest of the poor – why do they not ask this lady sitting here who is begging on behalf of the poor to give them some money already collected so they can buy food. This is where the yeast fell out of the bread as the lady sheepishly stated that the hungry poor beggars must come to the shelter she is collecting for to get food. I became very angry as here was a lady on behalf of a shelter, the location of which may be many kilometres away, and here at her feet were poor children begging but she tells me they must go to her shelter.

My Lord, by the time these children ever get there they will be skeletons. Does this scenario make sense? No it does not. Why cannot that lady begging for the poor not help the poor begging right next to her and why does Kwik Spar security chase away the poor also begging? I have no other words to express my disgust and I hope all involved will take note of the following: (Proverbs 21 verse 13) If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.