Bharat Jain, the so-called ‘world's richest beggar', reportedly makes between 2,000 and 2,500 rupees every day by asking generous people for handouts.

Jain has been begging at busy Mumbai locations. Over the years, he has amassed significant wealth, with an estimated net worth of 7.5 crore ($1 million). This includes a 2-bedroom flat in Mumbai valued at 1.2 crore and two shops in Thane that generate a monthly rental income of 30,000 rupees each.

His monthly earnings are estimated to range between 60,000 rupees ($731) and 75,000 rupees ($914), which is considerably higher than the average income of most employed Indians. Read more

But a senior police officer has rejected Mark Knoff-Thomas' claim, saying there was no evidence to support his assertion that beggars were connected to organised crime. Read more

McIntyre is the director of Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) in Wellington.

DCM's main focus is on ending homelessness and supporting people to get access to income, but she says putting money in the hat does not work.

"The complexity around poverty and the amount of people who are really poor and the degree to which they are poor, that's what I am seeing."

"I am not surprised for one second that that is reflected over in street begging."

"Whichever way you look at it, every single person who is out there street begging is poor."

But giving money and food directly to beggars is not the answer, she says.

DCM works alongside Ngati Kahungunu and the Soup Kitchen dispatching outreach teams who approach those on the street offering help to link them with the services they need.

Stuff reporter Bess Manson describes how at 9am McIntyre joins her staff and those who have come off the street for their morning karakia outside the inner city Luke's Lane premises.

The congregation sings Hallelujah in Te Reo. A heavenly sound rising from a dishevelled choir.

After a prayer, they all head inside. Some have come for help with housing matters, some to see the nurse or dentist.

Others to use the food bank or simply to spend time at Te Hapai, a welcoming and safe place within DCM for people to attend programmes, play music or just hang out.

McIntyre says giving money and food directly to beggars "is charity at it worst."

"We talk here about the practice of manaakitanga - it is built around the word mana.

Mana is about respectfulness, a lifting up of one another. Begging and giving to someone begging is not practising manaakitanga. It's a demeaning and disrespectful [act].

McIntyre suggests people should sit and have a chat with someone who is begging, 'say gidday, have a yarn."

But "Don't give anything. Ask if they are going to DCM, Soup Kitchen or somewhere else. That would be the most effective way to stop it."

Source

• Stuff
• Image: The Spinoff

Begging could be banned throughout Auckland under a bylaw being drafted by the council.

Wellington has addressed the question of public begging by setting up an Alternative Giving Fund asking people to donate their spare change to it rather than give it to beggars on the street.

An initial draft of the Auckland bylaw banned asking for money, food, other items or soliciting donations "in a manner that may intimidate or cause a nuisance to any person".

But after public feedback, commissioners appointed by the Auckland Council and Auckland Transport have recommended all begging be banned.

In Wellington charity boxes are expected to go up late this year to give people an immediate alternative instead of giving money directly to beggars.

All donations will go to six organisations that support the city's vulnerable residents.

Source

• New Zealand Herald
• Stuff.co.nz
• NewsTalkZB
• Image: 3News

I learned a hard and hasty lesson when I came to Greece to live, as beggars were everywhere. They still are, and in endless variety: the aged, especially widows, mothers with babies, amputees, the deaf and dumb, people who have been horribly burned or crippled, gypsies.

Continue reading Gillian Bouras' article 'Confronting the beggar dilemma' in Eureka Street

Image: Wateatanga
Gillian Bouras is an Australian writer who has been based in Greece for 30 years. She has had nine books published. Her latest, Seeing and Believing, is appearing in instalments on her website.