Argyle Street Awareness Campaign
The staff from iCare took to the streets on Friday and did a street awareness campaign. We concentrated on the corner of Argyle and Stamfordhill Roads, the notorious corner where women hire young children for the day and then get them to beg at the intersection. The little tots walk in between the traffic and are very difficult to see, putting their young lives at tremendous risk.
We witnessed a woman arriving with a black bag full of very old and torn clothes, which the children changed into to beg – they arrived in lovely clothes!
Gratefully, the “hirers” were very uncomfortable with our presence and moved the children to beg further up the road.
The purpose for this campaign is to educate the public NOT to give people money (especially children) begging at the traffic lights as it only enables and prolongs their stay on the streets, which in turn often leads to more serious problems.
A passing motorist, Nathan, parked his car and came and joined us!
Especially at this time of the year, we have that spirit of giving, but sadly, giving to beggars perpetuates the cycle of dependency and discourages individuals from seeking long-term solutions to improve their lives. By supporting reputable NGOs, eg iCare, donors can contribute to breaking this cycle and fostering positive change.
We have many success stories of the lives that we have successfully changed over the past 21 years.
visit our website for more info: www.icare.co.za, and please remember to NOT give beggars money, rather donate to a worthy organisation who actually helps to change their lives.
