the homeless dilemma

One of the most difficult things for foreigners to adapt to in Brazil is the plethora of homeless people. Here are my feelings about it.

Whenever I'm feeling annoyed or sad or upset, I can't go outside without feeling guilty for being upset. Within yards of my front door I see homeless people, and their lives are clearly more difficult than mine. What right do I have to feel sorry for myself? There's one in particular who always gets to me, since he's always around. I call him the Sad Man. He's one of the few white homeless people I've seen here, and is old and always unshaven and rumpled. He busts out a flute once and awhile, but most of the time sits on the street staring at the passersby. One time when it was raining, he was huddled under a large, broken umbrella, his face peeking out from the droopy material. Another time I saw him sleeping with a doormat over his head, like a pillow. If that's not symbolic, I don't know what is.

Another difficult thing for me related to homelessness is that it has led me to unwanted racist tendencies. Since around 90% of homeless people in Rio are black, it's easy to make assumptions. Sometimes, if I see a young black kid wearing simple clothes and flip-flops walking towards me, I'll prepare myself for him to come up to me asking for money or worse. But sometimes it will just be a regular kid, walking around in his bathing suit and a tee shirt. After a while, you learn signs to watch for when walking around, and this is one of the unfortunate effects.

I also have problems with homeless people begging. I'd say I walk past an average of three people begging per day. I rarely give money, unless it is a very small child and my heart explodes with pity. And I hate to admit this but usually my first reaction is annoyance. As an American, I still can't rid myself of the belief that hard work is the key to success and that only through hard work should one "make it" in life. I am well aware that this philosophy is not always applicable in Brazil, considering the unemployment rate, the despicable wages, and the prejudices of employers. Yet somehow I find myself feeling so irritated, since I work for the little money I earn and at this point need every cent of it. It's something I find hard to shake.

Possibly my worst thought relating to the homeless is related to babies. I have seen countless babies and toddlers belonging to homeless women, and though it makes me sad, my dominant feeling is anger. I know these people have little to no education, little to no money, and little to no access to contraceptives. But it just makes me so upset to see people incapable of taking care of themselves bringing people into the world who they too, cannot care for. What's more, the homeless women I've seen often have several children. After living such a difficult life, and knowing what those children will go through every day, they still bring people into the world to suffer.

And then there's Leandro, the homeless kid from Santa Teresa, who inspires feelings completely opposite to those above. Like other homeless children, he lives like a bandit, and sometimes like a dog on the streets, getting food and money where he can. Yet unlike some of the other street children, who have been hardened by life on the street, he has somehow retained an incredible sweetness and innocence that splits my heart every time I see him. I can't fathom why no one is taking better care of him.

...which leads me to my final thought. After following the news closely and seeing where the money here goes, it's pretty clear to me that besides the obvious problem of corruption, Brazilian politicians operate in the same way American ones do: pleasing their voting constituents. Since I assume little to no homeless people vote, and since they have no buying power, politicians are simply not interested in helping them. They have no form of organization, like favelas do, and present no immediate threat to politicians. There are homeless shelters, but not even close to the kind we have in the US, and very few soup kitchens.

The homeless are simply a forgotten people here, and are marginalized in the purest sense of the word. Every day, I wish there was something big I could do to help. But every day I walk past, ignoring them like everyone else.

Comments

[Silvia]

You have pretty much summarized the way that I and a lot of people that I know feel about this subject. It's hard to ignore those people, but you have to for the sake of your own sanity sometimes, everyday life in Rio would be absolutely impossible if you can't somehow get past the atrocities we witness everywhere.

On the other hand I'd also get annoyed when I'd see someone asking for money carrying their toddlers with them, or by the beggars who everyone knows that aren't actually homeless but figured out that they can sort of make a living begging for money. I sometimes give money to kids or buy them food, wishing that that will actually help them somehow... Oh well.

[elena]

Esse é um problema que infelizmente perdura no Brasil por decadas e centenas de anos.
Me envergonha profundamente, que ninguem faça nada pra reverter essa situaçao.
beijos,
me

[Cheryl]

I never give money to anyone on the street, here in Salvador or in the US. Unfortunately there is a huge problem with crack here, and so often if you give money, it goes towards buying drugs. And many homeless parents manipulate and use their children to beg for money because people will feel more pity towards kids and give them money vs. giving money to an adult. Pretty much anytime you see a kid begging, there is some adult waiting "in the wings" to receive all or some of the money the kid is able to get.

I think the best way to combat this huge problem is to support those organizations that are working to help out the poor and homeless here. By doing the volunteer work that you do, you are making a contribution towards improving this terrible problem. But yeah, seeing it in your face every day really does suck. And I have very similar feelings about the matter.