Okaz

It is inhumane to see children begging on our streets. Making them beg is in violation of their rights. The presence of child beggars is indicative of how backward a society is, and we usually think that children only beg in poor countries. Why is this happening in Saudi Arabia?

I understand that not all Saudis are rich. In fact, many Saudi families struggle with poverty. Anyone can easily see this when passing through a poor neighborhood. These areas lack basic services and are undeveloped. It is this poverty that forces some families to send their children out to beg for money to survive. However, I believe that families that make their children beg should come under the scrutiny of the law.

I will never forget the young four year old I once saw at a public park selling flowers while barefoot and dressed in torn clothes. My heart was pierced when I saw that child and I immediately asked a security guard why he did not ban children from begging in the park. He responded by saying, “We were not asked to do so.”

That child and every other innocent child should never have to live on the street. Instead, these children should be in comfortable homes, surrounded by their families and enjoying the simple rights of being children. So many of these beggar children are not even in school. Why is there no one to care for them? Where are their parents and the charity organizations?

As we witness radical changes in the Kingdom, issues such as this need to be discussed. We should have better laws that protect children and ensure their rights. People and especially parents should understand that children are the future of tomorrow and the hope for a better future.