Shenzhen Beggars

Many beggars in Shenzhen write their story in chalk in front of them. Typically, the younger they are the more inclined they are to curl up into a ball of shame and avoid eye contact with passersby. It's not uncommon to see students younger than me curled up against a wall with people standing around them reading their story begging for any assistance in paying for their college tuition.

According to my roommates loose transition, this man's story is that his son was a businessman gone bad who's in jail now for cheating people. The 70-year old man is now in the unfortunate position of having to support his granddaughter as well feed himself. It should be noted that elderly in China are almost entirely dependent on their children for financial stability.

As a side-note, the International Herald Tribune had an excellent write-up about how frequently elderly are being left behind now as parents spend all their money on developing their children's future. A very common site in Shenzhen are women as old as my grandmother picking through trash cans for recyclable bottles. Story here.





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