Afajita

Begging is not unusually in Cambodia. Beggars are almost as common as flies and often treated as such. After all, they swarm around their prey nipping at clothes and limbs. It’s easy to dehumanize them, swat them away and think of them as annoying pests.

In Phnom Penh there are several types. Some are folks coming from the countryside but find that they neither have job skills for the city nor opportunity to get a job. Other beggars tend to be handicapped, amputees or disfigured. They tend to congregate in touristy places where it is easy to elicit pocket change from pitying foreigners. There are also the women with sick babies. The babies are not necessarily theirs. They are often rented. They tend to hang out at markets, especially the ones where foreigners, rich Khmer or their house helpers do their shopping. At most gas stations street children band together and try to “help” people in and out of their cars and then ask for a tip. These kids usually don’t work for themselves but for a pimp-like figure.

Beggars do not only target foreigners. During Khmer holidays hordes of them pour into Temples and other places of worship where devotees feel obliged to give alms to the poor. The temples that are particularly popular even have areas designated for beggars in order to maintain some crowd control.

Thus, in Cambodia we have what is called “professional begging”. Begging is seen as a job, a viable career. And in fact, it is a quite lucrative one. The average factory worker earns about $45 a month working 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, $70 if they work overtime. But beggars can oftentimes make double that.

First time visitors are usually rightly overwhelmed and disturbed. You would think that after living in Cambodia for almost 3 years that I would be use to it and know how to respond. No, I just know how to avoid it, or rather them. I find that even though I try to be conscientious and compassionate, it’s hard for me to remember that there is a soul behind each pitiable face.

The following is a journal entry about an encounter our family had with a pair of beggars in Siem Reap:

We woke up hungry and decided to go to the local market for breakfast. We ended up eating at one of those outdoor noodle and coffee places where sanitation is non-existent but at least you know your soup was boiled. While we were fishing around in our bowls, trying to dodge the liver and innards in our noodle soup, an old man and grandson hovered over us begging. Usually we ignore the beggars or simply say, “somdoh” (sorry). So I was surprised that Danny handed over a 100 riel (about 3 cents) note. I thought it was to appease the guy so he would stop harassing us. Later Danny told me that he prayed, “If Silas respects the old man I’ll give him some money”. Silas did respect him with a smile and sumpeah (a sign of respect by putting your hands together and bowing).

After we finished what we could muscle down our throats, our family got up to leave the grease pit. As soon as we stood up the old man and boy were back at our table. This time they were not begging. I watched what they were doing for only a couple seconds, but what I saw has been replayed in my mind at least a hundred times since.

The old man gulped the left over soup from my bowl and devoured the rubbery innards in Danny’s. The little boy licked up the few sips of milk left in Silas’s cup. They ate like dogs eating out their dish, as if it was their first and last meal of the day, or perhaps days.

What I saw is not an uncommon occurrence. Beggars eat others leftovers all the time. I honestly don’t know why this particular encounter affected me more than others. I do know that when I watched the old man and young boy for that 2 or 3 seconds the following passage from Mark was brought to life:

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. MK 7:24-30

I never really understood this passage, and probably still don’t fully grasp its significance. Honestly, I just don’t get Jesus and why He responds to the lady the way He does. I do know that in the end He does treat her like a human being, one deserving of respect and finally gives her what she is begging for.

I think the only person who treated the old man and boy with dignity was Silas. I, on the other hand, still have a lot to learn about how to respond to beggars and see them through the eyes of Christ.