How to Appeal for Generosity a.k.a. Effective Begging

This was supposed to be posted in late September, but Typhoon Milenyo got in the way.

It was one of those usual rides to work. The jeepney I was riding on readied itself for the last kilometer of its route towards Guadalupe. With our jeepney joining other jeepneys from different routes all going to Guadalupe, traffic slowed. I decided to close my eyes in my vain attempt to take a nap in a moving vehicle. It was at that point between wakefulness and sleep that a skinny little boy dressed in sandos and shorts and carrying empty cans of powdered milk clambered up our slow-moving jeepney. The barker at the back knew of the young one's intentions but was taken by surprise. He belatedly extended his legs to bar the kid's entry, but the seasoned street urchin merely slithered past him. Without missing a beat, the boy immediately started distributing envelopes to us, passengers, in a fast and efficient manner. Written on them were "maawa na po kayo (please have pity)..." and other possibly heartrending cliches that I did not bother reading anymore. I suddenly remembered that we were in the -ber months and the period of gift-giving was near. Some of the passengers were amused by this boy's antics while others, including the barker, were not. I, on the other hand, resumed (pretended) dozing off. The kid sat at the back of the jeepney, facing away from us, and played random beats (noise) with his cans while waiting, not eagerly, for our generosity. I gave him nothing, and I guess the others also gave little since as he stepped off he muttered, in a nonchalant (rather than angry or angsty) tone, "mamatay sana kayo (may you all die)."

When the boy was gone, one passenger remarked that the kid didn't seem to really need the money. Another agreed and scoffed at the "death curse" as a sign of haughtiness. The barker pointed out that, with half the effort, the little bastard could potentially earn more money out of the passengers than what he could collect as fare. Others assumed that the child was neglected by the parents. I thought that the parents might have been the one who taught the kid to beg, or he was merely working for a begging syndicate, hence the disinterested attitude. If this was so, they trained their pupil awfully bad.

Actually, before this incident pushed me to write, I've been thinking about an article on this topic ever since I encountered those Red Cross people at the MRT. It reminded me of the fund-raising activities I once did in college. Yes, I've done some begging before--contributing to a large-scale, institutionalized and organized effort at that, so I know what I'm talking about. In private conversations with project colleagues, I didn't hesitate it to call it as such. In public, however, prudence dictated that use euphemisms like "asking for a little help and contribution" ("soliciting" is not a euphemism anymore).

Before proceeding, I would commend you, potential beggar of a reader, for choosing this non-threatening way to acquire things. I praise you for shunning the absolutely abominable resort to violence. In violence, you expect to be feared, but there will be some who will never be afraid of you. They will seek not just justice but revenge. Indeed, your use of force will only return to you.

Moving on, I present the following tips under a working paradigm: generosity, like respect, has to be earned. In today's trying times, people will not easily depart from money they worked hard for. It follows then that even begging entails toiling and shedding of blood, sweat and tears.

Without further ado, behold the Tips:

1. Have a purpose, a goal. Make it specific. What is it that you really want? How much does it cost? Money is merely a tool to attain that goal. Woe to you if you beg for money when you don't even know where to spend it. Nobody wants to help a drifter drift along. (That's why I have this blog as my cry for help for someone to get me out of this drifting in life, and as a way to help myself write my way out of it.)

2. Be mindful of the target audience. Make sure they have what you are asking. Make sure you appeal to their sensibilities. How would you communicate your message across? Would a business-like manner work? Or perhaps a dramatic guilt-trip approach? By the way, I find it best to ask from the middle class and up since they have the capacity to give and give big. Also, it's better to be all business about it. A guilt trip will not only make anyone feel bad, it's also over-used. Look: how would you put a price on that guilt or whatever emotion you feel? Business, on the other hand, is all about price and quantity.

3. Behave with dignity. Isn't it horrible to see a filthy, fly-infested beggar sulking under the lamppost? Wouldn't you like to just look away instead? How would you then get what you are asking for, if they wouldn't even come near you? Even desperation might turn others off. Just to make it clear, their dignity is still there, it's just that they refuse to show it. It would be fortunate if a blessed soul would make them recognize that dignity and give them hope, but most probably they will just be ignored or worse, mistreated. It is usually up to them to help themselves. Dress up, look clean (no jewelry, obviously). Remember #2, your appearance should appeal to the target audience. Look and act like a human being and others will treat you as one.

4. People give in many ways; receive in many ways. Beggars can't be choosers, it has been said. If you ask for money, prepare to receive money in the form of cash, cheque, transfer, etc. Although tips #1 and #2 would most likely let you get what you are asking for, take whatever they offer especially if given in good faith. They are earnest in their generosity; it's just that they can't give exactly what you are asking for right then and there.

5. There is one irony with begging: it is always better to do it for the benefit of others, an organization, or a project, rather than oneself. The selflessness, the relevance and the cause of that project or organization makes begging a noble activity worthy of support. People might say, here is an established organization that has the means, or at least the potential to be of great service. All it is asking from them is a little help. Most probably, they'll give.

At this point I invite you to transcend begging as means of acquisition. If you have something of value that you can exchange for something you need or want, well then, now we're talking business!

-oOo-

"Mamatay sana kayo..." Of course, boy, we will all die sooner or later. But as I went on with my daily routine, the words rang in my head: while riding the elevator, mamatay sana kayo; while reading a newspaper article about beggars, mamatay sana kayo; while fighting off boredom, mamatay sana kayo; onboard a speeding jeepney on the way home, mamatay sana kayo....