Innovation from the street
7 Comments Published by Tom Gara on Tuesday, March 15 at Tuesday, March 15, 2005.
We were driving around in Heliopolis tonight when I saw something that has been in my head ever since. We got to a point in the road where a lot of people slow down and do a U-Turn to get onto a different road, and there was a young kid sitting on the side of the road. He looked like he was crying, with this head in his hands, rocking back and forward. In front of him on the edge of the road was a big tray of eggs, or more accurately, smashed up egg shells.
It quite obvious what happened - he was one of the thousands of people in Cairo who stand on the side of the road in busy traffic areas where the traffic slows down, selling stuff - tissues, cigarettes, oranges, whatever they can get their hands on cheap. In this poor kids case it was eggs, and obviously he had manged to drop the whole tray on the ground, losing not only his income for the night, but also the money he spent on buying the eggs in the first place. It was really quite sad, like when you see a little kid drop their ice cream, except in Australia the little kids livelihood and quality of life does not depend on them selling their ice cream to passing motorists.
"Poor bastard", I said to the guys in the car. "All though is is a stupid place to be selling eggs - and they arent exactly the smartest thing to be selling in such a situation". I was about to tell Aly to stop the car so I could give the guy a couple of pounds, when the guys in the car let me in on the truth.
This kid is famous in Heliopolis. He takes a tray of broken eggshells (which he probably collects for free from a restaurant), and sits on the side of the road in prominent places, looking like he has just dropped them and that his life is over. This cunning little ploy is apparently effective enough to earn him a healthy income of donations each night, as long as he changes locations every few days to stay fresh.
This news put me in two minds. Firstly, I thought that it was such a clever, detailed plan, that it deserved reward based on admiration alone. Then, on the other hand, I thought that if he had such a great mind to develop a plan, why not put it to use in a street side enterprise of actual value, rather than in a pathetic kind of begging that depends on the kindness of Egyptians and foreigners - a kindness that would obviously not exist if everyone, or even a few people, did what he was doing?
Begging is an interesting topic, and is one that I have really come to understand is far more complex than you think. When you have an economy and society structured in the way Egypt is, it isnt a simple case of beggars being lazy, or drug addicted, any of the other typical reasons that we have in western countries for feeling little sympathy or obligation towards such people.
What I have learned for sure is, the more industrious and experienced a beggar is, the better their method of attracting donations. I suppose this shows that innovation and product development arent the sole domain or management consultants and large companies. Its a knowledge economy out there, even in the least likely of places.
It quite obvious what happened - he was one of the thousands of people in Cairo who stand on the side of the road in busy traffic areas where the traffic slows down, selling stuff - tissues, cigarettes, oranges, whatever they can get their hands on cheap. In this poor kids case it was eggs, and obviously he had manged to drop the whole tray on the ground, losing not only his income for the night, but also the money he spent on buying the eggs in the first place. It was really quite sad, like when you see a little kid drop their ice cream, except in Australia the little kids livelihood and quality of life does not depend on them selling their ice cream to passing motorists.
"Poor bastard", I said to the guys in the car. "All though is is a stupid place to be selling eggs - and they arent exactly the smartest thing to be selling in such a situation". I was about to tell Aly to stop the car so I could give the guy a couple of pounds, when the guys in the car let me in on the truth.
This kid is famous in Heliopolis. He takes a tray of broken eggshells (which he probably collects for free from a restaurant), and sits on the side of the road in prominent places, looking like he has just dropped them and that his life is over. This cunning little ploy is apparently effective enough to earn him a healthy income of donations each night, as long as he changes locations every few days to stay fresh.
This news put me in two minds. Firstly, I thought that it was such a clever, detailed plan, that it deserved reward based on admiration alone. Then, on the other hand, I thought that if he had such a great mind to develop a plan, why not put it to use in a street side enterprise of actual value, rather than in a pathetic kind of begging that depends on the kindness of Egyptians and foreigners - a kindness that would obviously not exist if everyone, or even a few people, did what he was doing?
Begging is an interesting topic, and is one that I have really come to understand is far more complex than you think. When you have an economy and society structured in the way Egypt is, it isnt a simple case of beggars being lazy, or drug addicted, any of the other typical reasons that we have in western countries for feeling little sympathy or obligation towards such people.
What I have learned for sure is, the more industrious and experienced a beggar is, the better their method of attracting donations. I suppose this shows that innovation and product development arent the sole domain or management consultants and large companies. Its a knowledge economy out there, even in the least likely of places.
Talking about begging, I recall situation I observed in Cairo metro. An elderly woman was begging while going thru whole train and at least in my wagon she got not less than few pounds.
Now let's count. If in one wagon she receives at least 1 pound and train has 10 wagons, that's 10 pounds per train. If she catches around 10 trains per day - that's 100 pounds per day, not too bad, egh. Per month that would make around 3000 pounds.
I, as AIESEC trainee in PwC, was earning only freaking 1500 pounds per month, and my salary way higher than fresh auditors.
Nice business is begging, isn't. And that's only one person. Husband and little begging daughter could add some more incomes in family's budget, and, most probably, they are not dinning in Italian restaurant or rent apartment in Maadi.
Interesting points indeed that have been raised. Since arriving in Bogota I've been thinking about the finer points of begging too, and I have to agree with Tom that seeing it in places like Cairo and Bogota give you a different appreciation of it to what you get seeing it in Australia.
Here in Bogota it is very common for people to come onto buses (the bus driver will let them on for free), give a 2 minute speel to the bus explaining their situation, and then either walk through looking for donations or walk through looking for sales of candy or simple Colombian souveneirs.
Like Romas I have also done the maths in my head to see what they might make from this, and at times it can seem like a decent career path, especially for those with a creative outlet. Certainly one thing I realise here is that begging is often done out of neccesity (unlike in Australia where you can live off the government pretty easily).
Indeed, last weekend was talking with an AIESEC alumnus, and he was telling me that during his poor student AIESEC days, him and some friends after returning from a conference completely strapped of cash took to working the buses performing songs and music, and it earnt them enough to get some dinner. Personally I think I'd like to try that with him just for the experience and the fun of it.
My value is never to give kids money in the strets because they can go earn their own wage doing something better, and they should go to school. Hard, but possible.
Kenny, agrees, however he likes to tell them why he won't give them money.
I am recently taken this approach, and i have talked to several kids in the street on how they should be goiing to school to let their kids have a better life than they do, and to get better jobs as supermarket boys etc.
It feels really good, because you didn't give them a financial tip, you have them a tip for life.
Now imagine if one out of the beggars youi talk to actually listens to what you say, that's a whole family's destiny changed.
Maybe it's too romantic, but it's worth a shot
Luli your comments (whose wisdom I agree with) remind me of a TV commercial for Pizza Hut that we used to have in Australia.
The Pizza delivery guy, Dougy was his name, after delivering a pizza says to the guy "how about a tip?"
The response he gets is "Work hard, and be good to your mother" followed by the door closed in his face.
So it seems we agree with your approach even in Australia. Though I feel, that in the interest of presenting a balanced perspective, I should point out that Dougy ended up in a drug re-habilitation clinic. (And no this wasn't a pizza hut advertising thing, I mean the actor who played him actually ended up in a drug re-hab clinic.)
Well, not so sure that begging is really a problem, particularly when there's either a good safety net for them or it pays well. Beggars provide a couple of moderately valuable services in any good capitalist society. Firstly, they form a highly visible bottom rung on the ladder so that Joe Sixpack feels that he's getting a pretty good deal out of the system (effectively lowering dissent to a limited extent), and secondly they allow anybody who is actually doing well out of the system, even at others' expense, to buy a sort of "Charity" credit - they can utterly sodomise the poor out of their earnings as the keeper of some kind of rotten, overpriced slum, but since they gave a beggar a few bucks they can feel like a great guy, especially if they did it conspicuously enough that others notice.
Let's put it this way, on the free market only desirable things do well, and things that people have no use for either have to be propped up by government or they disappear (which sucks because I can no longer get Pepsi Blue or Cherry Cola in this country). Since beggars, especially in countries with no welfare systems at all, seem to exist in vast swarms and, from the sounds of things, occasionaly prosper, it seems that on some level at least they provide a service which reaches some deep-seated desire in humanity.
In other words, beggars are alright with me.
Nixon
Dear all,
Well, the way i see it is as follows:
I know that egypt isnt such a safe country to live in, but i am sure that all the foreigners out here would agree that it is actually - relativly safe to live here. I mean, as far as the crime rates are concerned, it is not bad at all.
So, the economic system doesnt provide wellfare to those less fortunate like for example canada; which i lived in for 4 years. See in Canada I couldnt walk in the street alone after 9pm, in Egypt, i am happy going home at 2am knowing that i am safe!
So, some people decide that begging is a safe option to earn enough for the day to feed the family.
So let me ask you this: would you rather give the next begger 50 piasters, or have this same person steal your wallet? smash your car? or break into your house?
The way I see it, you dont know if this begger, is really worth the money, or if he is richer than you. But that is not our role to play, let God do the judging, the role you should play is that you were fortunate enough to belong to a social class that can not be affected whatsoever if you give the next begger those 50piasters. So that is what you owe to society, that is what you owe God. He created us in different economic classes, if the rich help out the poor enough, i believe we will end up with a safer world...
Im really sorry to shatter your dreams of a peaceful society of inequality, Nermeen, but giving beggars money makes no difference to crime.
In South Africa we have sad-faced beggars at almost every busy intersection holding cardboard signs with promises of divine blessing in exchange for your "donasion" (I dont think they really have such a big say in whether God will "bles" you or not, but that's just me). In the past nine months I have had my wallet stolen, my car windows smashed and my house has been broken into twice.
You are not giving anything. You are buying a quiet conscience, temporary guilt relief and reassurance that you are really a good person deep down. The service reaching some deep-seated desire in humanity as injustice whatshisname said.
I know that there are people and children out there who have to cope with circumstances that I cannot even begin to comprehend. I, however, believe in supporting the organisations that have the experience and the knowledge to help those who really want to help themselves and the children who did not have a choice in the matter in the first place. I think that my small change is only keeping that person in a pretty miserable life: I don't think that anybody would keep on standing in the blazing sun (or keep on pretending to cry on the kerb or keep on roaming the Cairo metro) day in and day out if they got nothing.