There are some of us in society who are severely underprivileged and are therefore forced to beg for a living. My prayers are with those who are truly in that position, but to fake such a situation is a dastardly act.
At the traffic lights at the junction of Vlissengen Road and Lamaha Street, and Camp and Robb Streets, there is a family from the East Coast which has made begging a profession by choice. I have no problem with their decision, but the fact that they have their children accompany them disgusts me to the core.
Parents must protect their children and bring them up in a manner that gives them the best chance to have a better life. To continuously expose a child to the emotional and debilitating act of begging, is tantamount to child abuse and neglect of parental responsibility. This exposure can have deep and far-reaching harmful effects on the child.
I therefore call on the Child Protection Agency of the Ministry of Human Services to urgently carry out its mandate by removing these children from the voluntary roadside beggars and place them in an enabling environment.
They should also prosecute the parents. To the delinquent parents, I say shame on you.
Yours faithfully
Learie Barclay
