It’s difficult to keep our “giving/helping” instincts in tow when traveling through poor countries. Children standing along the roads in West Africa calling, “bickee, one bickee, one bickee” (Bic pens)…”cadeau, cadeau”…”bon-bon, bon-bon” (in French West Africa, cadeau is “present” and bon-bon a “candy”)….East Africa, “gimme mawnee, gimme mawnee, gimmee mawnee” – repeated as quickly as possible until both words become a blur…beggers… hard not to give!

Don’t do it! We recently came back from Uganda/Rwanda (watch for series on Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda in January, 2007) and witnessed an incident that was frightening and could have been disasterous for the children.

Driving back from gorilla tracking, a 4WD was stopped on the road in front of us with several children around it. A young man leaned out the window and handed out some Post-it-Notes! It didn’t take more than a minute before children materialized out of nowhere, running across the road (not watching for traffic), swarming around the 4WD, and one child was almost run over by our car. Pat Dewil, our trip leader and a South African, leaped out of the 4WD, ran over to the man handing out Post-it-Notes and reamed him a new rear-end! “Don’t you know you are making these children into a nation of beggers? What were you thinking of? Don’t ever do that again!” (Along with some other choice words that can’t be repeated.) And as we pulled away, a crowd of at least 25 children were fighting with each other over the few notes that were distributed.

If you really want to do some good while traveling:

- Bring pens, paper and other school supplies and donate them to a school

- Clothing and/or money can be given to a church, school or the village elder with your guide’s permission.

We brought school supplies to West Africa, handed them to the principal in front of a class, and Roberto then told the children (in French) that these pens were for students who studied hard…

Please don’t:

- Bring candy for the children (they have no access to dental care);

- Strew “bickees” along the roads. If I had one penny for every child requesting a pen, I’d be a wealthy lady;

- Hand-out money indiscriminately.

You will never have enough of anything for everyone you meet. Do some good where it will benefit the majority of people and save your fellow travelers from a new generation of beggers… Thanks.