Research by a 17-year-old high-school student in Shanghai has found that over 40 per cent of beggars in China’s largest city earn around Rs 6,000 per month.
Huang Yan, a student at the No 2 High School of East China Normal University, spent eight months interviewing and photographing 265 beggars in Shanghai for her 48-page report into the city’s so-called “begging phenomenon”.
“I was a little shocked to discover that more than 40 per cent of the beggars I spoke to were earning more than 1,000 yuan (about Rs 6,000) per month,” Huang said.
“They were also very different from the traditional image of someone begging for food to stay alive. In fact, 221 of the 265 beggars I interviewed said they bought their own food with the money they collected. They beg for money as well as food,” she said.
According to Huang’s figures, about 38 per cent of beggars earn 41 to 60 yuan (Rs 246 to Rs 462) a day, while nine per cent make more than 80 yuan (Rs 480) a day.
“Of course, they wouldn’t tell me exactly what they were making, but I would follow them for several hours and then estimate their daily income,” she said.
Huang said that 63 of the people she interviewed were “occupational beggars”, who had made a conscious choice to live that way. They were not forced to do so because they were poor or homeless, she said.
Staff at a government homeless shelter told Huang that about 80 per cent of the street people in Shanghai were occupational beggars.
“But I am still sympathetic towards beggars,” said Huang. “Not only because they live such poor lives, but also because they lose their sense of being a real person.”
Huang said the idea to conduct the research came to her last July, while she was riding the metro with a student from Britain who was accosted by a young beggar.
She said the situation was embarrassing but also made her think. She became inspired to find out why beggars are like they are.
Huang’s parents were initially against their daughter’s decision to compile the report, but later came to see the value of the project and even provided her with financial support to pay the beggars.
Her completed report was recognised earlier this year with a prize at the 22nd Shanghai Technology Creation Competition for Students.
But while her work might be finished, Huang says she continues to talk to beggars on her way to school.
“It has become almost a hobby,” she smiled.
@ Gaurav Devgan