They were a group of three, probably in their mid and late twenties. It is said none of them had any official source of income. But, so the talk of the town goes, they lived as if life was a 24/7 eating, drinking, dancing spree. And they were regular presences in the hot spots of the city; you know those places of the “who-is-who” world. If you’re any ‘who’ worth mentioning they say you should be seen in those places. Well that’s how the narrative goes! And of course you should have an iron-strong wallet so that you won’t suffer the shock that comes with the bill. These three guys were perfect candidates.
They also dressed in the best formal and casual attire. Mind you, no one knows who their employers are or even if they have any employer for that matter. But people couldn’t help noticing how comfortably the guy lived and ask themselves, “How the hell do they manage to live so comfortably in these hard times!?” The village inhabitants don’t hold any grudge on the youngsters since they behaved very nicely greeting almost half the village with big smiles and also hugs. Many times they left early and returned home when the sun goes down.
So where do they get so much money? It was after a long time rumors began circulating. Of course, it sounds like some creative short story but it isn’t; especially as of late we are realizing more and more the real picture of the whole thing of the sick guy and his friends begging for people to help. So this three guys, so it was later discovered, hire a minibus taxi, one of them sleeps inside wrapped in all kinds of fabric, with medicine all over the place and him moaning and wailing because of the severity of his ‘pain!’ and daily the two themselves poorly dressed ad disguised at best plead with passersby and make fortunes. It is said they frequently changed places. Finally when they realized their story was out in the open they just vanished.
Of course we are in times when the person you really are and the person people think you are different stories from page one to the finish. I hope I’m not imagining things when I say these days it has become very easy, in fact too easy, to deceive people. That’s why many end up being fooled as we see in the confessional stories on the social media. The ‘sick guy, the pleading friends’ story has become so common you see the all over town.
The good guys collecting finds. Recently there was this guy who claimed to have spent the donation money because he thought the sick guy wouldn’t survive. Just like that! I tell you it was shocking to hear the guy saying it and the way he said it. If I’m not wrong I think they’re investigating him.
The ‘sick’ person lying in a minibus and friends holding boxes and pleading for donations is a daily fact of the city. Hundreds of Good Samaritans and well-meaning citizens offer their help without having any suspicion about the unfolding drama. The youngsters play their parts with such conviction you might even feel guilty for hesitating before giving your share. “They wouldn’t humiliate themselves in public If their friend had not been really sick!”
Sadly, your good intentions and your innocence are betrayed when they use your money to live it up in town and the whole thing happens to be crime of the worst kind. You deduct money from something you plan to buy just because you believe helping someone was more important. But with all these crooks filling the streets the most likely outcome is your donation goes to the wrong place. And while at dinner your family faces a fast thinning out dinner table the guys who collected the donation are drinking themselves crazy and dancing until the wee hours of the night.
I don’t blame people who refuse to give alms. All are not actually evil souls who enjoy the sufferings of others. No! Since they have seen more than enough of what is being done they act. I know guys who have taken things to the extreme and don’t give a single cent to beggars however needy they might be.
Now the social media has become one very useful instrument for collecting funds for people who are severely sick and couldn’t cover the medical costs by themselves. Many are told by their doctors to seek medical treatment abroad as we don’t have the necessary medical gear locally. And medical treatments abroad are so expensive asking people to help whatever way they can is the correct and logical way of going about things. Usually funds are collected through bank accounts and it seems there is little room for malpractice. Well, this is one issue which demands careful analysis of things before coming to any final decision. So claiming this was the hundred percent foolproof way would be a mistake, a dire one too. You know once in a while rumors arise. Still, we have to admit incredible work has been done through social media in this respect.
Recently there was this person for whom funds were being collected for medical treatment. Then one of the ‘collectors’ admitted he had used quite a lot of money thinking that the sick guy wouldn’t make it through. He later is said to have claimed to have returned the whole thing. Still the last we heard about him is that he was detained and was being investigated. So, on the streets or the social media it might be better to devise ways to ensure, firstly that the appeals for help are genuine and secondly the collected funds aren’t used for totally different purposes.
We’re in times where this world is awash with criminally planned ruses which are presented as genuine philanthropic appeals. And as we mentioned earlier people seem to be very easily fooled into believing every appeal for help they hear without having second thoughts. After all, second thoughts could come as saviors and there is nothing wrong in asking a few questions before acting. Yes the sick who are in dire financial problems should be helped; yes there are many in our society who seek the helping hands of compatriots and offering our helping hand is not only morally but also spiritually uplifting too; And yes there are the crooks who use the good intentions of the philanthropists and divert genuinely offered financial help for their personal needs.
The Ethiopian Herald May 12/2024