Kak, nak mintak derma...

Yesterday, I went to send a friend of mine to the airport. He went back home for study week. And hope he really study at home! haha..Cis, saje je buat aku jeles. Huhu...

Then on the way back to uni, I stopped by a petrol station to fill my car. As I was filling in gas, a girl was walking form one person to another...seeking for donations. And the people there, were either refused nicely or ignored her completely. Then she approached me, in her hands were some coupons and a tabung. In my mind..."ok, here we go again". And as I expected, that girl approached me looking straight into my eyes, hoping for some sympathy from me to give some donations to her for her orphanage. Deep down inside, I felt pity for that girl..her eyes had this hoping glow that I'll respond positively. I smiled gently at her, while my hands still holding the gas pump.

In the end, she walked away empty handed, and frustrated. I didn't give her what she wished for.

Yes, I looked like a cold-hearted, miser person who is not considerate or sympathetic or being helpful to an orphan girl who tried to help herself and her friends at the orphanage to have a better place to live. Honestly, it's not that I refused to help, it was the way of them seeking for help that I find it to be very inappropriate.

It was 10.30 p.m. when it happened. And that girl, was perhaps somewhere around my brother's age...10 or 11 something. Why was she left alone at the petrol station? A minor, a child, a primary schoolgirl, being made to ask for donations at 10.30 at night? Is that a right thing to do? She should be in bed, or perhaps doing her homework or play pillow fight with her friends, not walking around at night like that. What if she got kidnapped? or raped? or murdered? Would anyone notice her absence? I think not many will, the fact that she's an orphan. Not many will care.

I don't like the way the people who runs that orphanage use the children to get sympathy from people. To me, it's like child labour. It's not the children responsibility to go search for money for the orphanage. It's the duty of those who manage it. Those orphans must be given a proper education, a good meal, and time to enjoy their childhood. If they are made to do such works, isn't that just so cruel? It's like snatching away their freedom and childhood. Even if they do get some, in the end, it does not all be given back to them, half of it perhaps ends up in other people's pockets. And what do the children get? Apart from being sleepy, tired and restless the next day? What will their future be?

Of course, not all orphanage use such method to ask for help. There are those who do it the right way. But this is not something that should be ignored. I think that by seeing the way they use the children, it shows that how ignorant they are. We have welfare department in this country. And sure, sometimes to get the help they need, they have to go through long procedures. But I think that is better than using those children. Sometimes I see them loitering at shopping malls and in front of banks carrying boxes or raisins to sell and standing there for hours. It's just sad to see them there when they should be in school, learning new things, grasping as much knowledge and experience as they can and celebrate their day as children. There are times I gave some, because I don't have the heart to see them standing for hours and sweating in front of the shopping mall, with their baju melayu and kopiah. It's just manipulative. Using that image to strike pity to people.

A friend of mine once gave some money to a boy, and she said "dik, duit ni akak bagi untuk adik simpan, bukan bagi kat orang lain,". But the boy refused to keep it for himself. "Nanti saya kena marah kak,". When I heard that, I felt so sad and angry at the same time. What..you asked these children to dig some money for you and when they failed, they receive scolding??? For goodness sake! Tak kesian ke kat budak-budak tu? Of course, they owe you for accepting them and give shelter, but that is not the way. If this is said as a way to be thankful to you, it is just so wrong.

So perhaps I'm a miser, or selfish, or inconsiderate. But at least I don't help to encourage more of these things to happen. Maybe that girl will be scolded, but I hope it'll open their eyes that the society is not all blind. Hope they know that this method does not work. And most of all, I hope this will Stop.