Students at University of Jordan empathise with plight of child beggars on campus

AMMAN — While the Social Development Ministry held a campaign this Ramadan to arrest beggars roaming the streets, students at the University of Jordan (UJ) said that it is not uncommon to see children begging on campus all year long.

“They’re in the cafeterias, the gardens, and even the parking lots,” Laila Qadri, a dentistry student, told The Jordan Times. “It’s sad, but also inappropriate.” 

The children are constantly seen taking the buses from Jerash, Sweileh, Baqaa and many other stops all the way to the university by themselves, according to students who take the same buses.

“I ask them why they go through the trouble of coming to Amman when they can beg at a place closer to their houses, but their answer is usually that the people who live in their areas do not have extra money to spare,” Anwar Rawhi, a student residing in Irbid, told The Jordan Times.

However, the students expressed their sympathy towards the kids, saying that they have become “their friends” and a “part of their morning routine”.

Rawan Masa’ed told The Jordan Times that she was conflicted about the situation, “I know that it’s wrong to give them money because it encourages the phenomena, but I can’t help but feel sad for them”.

“It’s not their fault that they were born in unfortunate and desperate circumstances,” she added.

Some students have taken action by turning their feelings into a motive to help these kids. Esraa, who preferred to be referred to by her first name only, decided to offer a child named Ahmed tutoring lessons during her breaks. 

The lessons, Esraa said, have been going on for about a year and a half. 

“Esraa teaches me mathematics, English and Arabic. I learned how to count and solve math problems in English with her,” Ahmad said.

His brother, Yousef, told The Jordan Times that he studied until the fourth grade and his brother until the sixth when their father asked them both to go out on the streets. 

“He told us that begging is a source of income and that the school is not,” said Yousef.

While no student denied the “unfairness” of the situation, given that a study by the UNICEF “revealed that almost 23 per cent of child beggars have been sexually harassed at least once”, some complained that giving them money is “not an adequate solution”.

“As much as I empathise with them, this is an educational institution after all. It does not do the university’s ranking any good if there are kids on its campus asking people for money,” Mohsen Naser, a fifth year medical student, told The Jordan Times.

Jori Lutfi, his colleague, agreed with Mohsen’s point of view, saying: “My sympathy ends when I start getting harassed for money by them. Sometimes I really don’t have change and I don’t like being shamed into giving them large amounts of money”.