Fri 25 Nov 2005
Has anyone else noticed a significant increase recently in the number of men begging or walking the inner streets of residential areas and stopping to check each garbage bin?
These same men, mostly Indians or from that region I think, are usually standing at traffic lights looking at the people in cars hoping someone would give them some spare change!
Almost all these people wear a red chmaaq and have a black garbage bag in hand! If u havent noticed it, try looking for them, u will definitely see them! Today while thinking about this in my car, I saw one guy near a traffic light, and two in Qurtoba!
The increase in the numbers of these people is really disturbing!! Where is the government from this issue?! Im sure if the government acts and brings these people in, they will see another proof of how bad the situation of تجار الاقامات has become! I don’t really understand the system very well, but I do know that these people are basically making money from giving these people residency in Kuwait and they get paid for issuing visas and then totally abandon them and don’t care about what happens next!
Also, it could be the result of what we have been reading about in recent months about private companies not paying their employees, and even hospitals recently not paying these employees! They end up in the streets begging for money and searching through other people’s garbage to live! Their situation might get so desperate in the future that they might start committing crimes and become a major security issue!
What can be done to fix this? They dont have any sort of support from anywhere, and there is noone protecting them against companies or individuals that dont pay them!
This is a serious issue that could escalate to become alot bigger than in it is! I feel really bad for them but at the same time I worry about the kids playing in the street from them! Something has to be done!
21 Responses to “Homeless in Kuwait”
Leave a Reply
Visitor stats
-
user(s) online
so far
November 25th, 2005 at 4:35 pm
oh they dont abandon them after getting the money for issueing them visas bro .. they would ask for anual payment to renew their sponsering .. god they should put some tought law about it …
nice topic ..
November 25th, 2005 at 5:43 pm
good post,
about hospital not paying i think u didnt get it right.
there are few companies in q8 who can bring large amounts of bangaladishi/indians very cheap labor to kuwait (i think less than 6 companies)
they bring them as cleaning labor (3omal nathafa), what happen is 1- they tell the laborer to sign a contract with 80 kd salary , however they only pay him 20 or 30
2- they sing contracts with other companies/hospitals/schools / / /
to clean the place up
what happen here is the hospital or school sing the contact with the cleaning company and they pay them the money….here the cleaning company will keep the money and not pay their employees, thats why u think the hospital didnt pay…
i think owners of these cleaning companis(the ones who dont pay their employees their tiny 20 kd salary)should get the maximum penalty
and by the way all of these owner are very very RICH o powerful:(
maskhara
November 25th, 2005 at 5:45 pm
sign not sing…kent m3a9eb wana akteb:P
November 25th, 2005 at 6:05 pm
It’s not that they are not being paid.
Just last week I drove up to one very shabbily dressed man rummaging in the bins and I offered him a job. Gave him my address and number but he never showed up or called.
At first he said he did not work; then he said he worked in a cleaning company and got off at 2. I said nevermind; you can work part time for me with flexibility in the afternoons.
You know, I think that there is lots of money in Kuwaiti trash bins. These people are doing alot of recycling for us and it is probably more rewarding than another job offer. He is freelancing.
I wish the Islamic Zakat organizations would bundle them all up and provide them with free tickets home plus a couple of months salary.
November 25th, 2005 at 7:13 pm
I’ve been noticing them for a while. There are 3 that frequent our garbage cans quite a lot, digging out bottles or aluminum cans.
The ones that bother me more are the little kids that try to sell things at traffic lights.
November 25th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
This post has been removed by the author.
November 26th, 2005 at 1:30 am
Yep.. seen them at my house’s bin.. the problem that they open it, look through it, and leave everything all around the floor and go for the next one.. WTF? And it’s getting worse because people on the street want to do good deeds so they tend to give them money, and that’s where the problem lays.. ya akhee you wanna do good, give the money for the right organizations to distribute the money in the right way, why give someone on the street, and make him beg for more, and by word of mouth, these guys telling other ones to start doing this.. grab a trash bag look (maskeen) and people will give you sooo much money..
People, stop giving them money, and try to find a real solution to this problem, if no one gives them money, they’ll go to the right organization to get help.. I know that these people are in too deep, and it breaks my heart to see them, but we are contributing to create more beggers, and it’s not helping to solve poverty in any way.. every KD you wish to give to one of them, just go and give it Kuwait Red Crescent Society instead.. these people need more than the KD you are giving them..
November 26th, 2005 at 12:19 pm
شخصيا..
مايمر علي اسبوع أو 2 إلا وانا محتك فيهم..
يا أوصلهم وهذا الغالب..
أو أكلمهم إذا شفتهم..
ودايما ما آخذ أرقامهم او ارقام القراب منهم عشان اذا حصلت لهم وظيفة اكلمهم..
بس كل ما اكلم لهم احد أو أطرح الموضوع باي مكان يقلب الكلام غشمرة..
المشكلة ان وايد من هاللي ايون يدرون انهم يايين عن طريق تجار الاقامة وعارفين الطبخة اكثر منك ومني..
واصلا اهم قبل لا اييون
تلقاه ميمع فلوس من كل اهله عشان يسدد المبلغ الجشع اللي يطلبه التاجر من امثال هالعامل ويدري انه لو بيلاقي شغل يبيله سنين يالله يسدد اللي عليه
وشخصيا اعرف واحد مصري يشتغل من سنتين وليلحين قاعد يسدد المبلغ اللي عليه لأهله
واعرف هم مصري قام يشتغل مع الكويتي التاجر اللي يابه في تجارة الاقامة..
قام كل راس اييبه له يعطيه الكويتي عليه 50 دينار والباقي ياخذه الكويتي حول ال700
اللي يضحك ان وحده من الحالات مصرية لما يت تزوجت كويتي على طول وقالت لصاحبنا المصري ياترجع فلوسي والا اشتكي عليك!
قالي شسوي؟ (وهذي اول مرة يقولي عن شغله هذا)
طبعا بعد تأنيب ونصيحة قلت له يكلم الكويتي
الكويتي قاله انا ماستلمت منك شي!! واهو ماخذ 700!!
اخر شي المصري دفع 450 لها ورضت انها ما تشتكي..
عموما
انت تقول they might start committing crimes and become a major security issue!
اهم بدوا
واللي سمع عن البنغالية اللي يبوقون الطوابع ويدشون ادارات المرور يعرف
وهم اللي ياخذون الدياي المنتهية صلاحيته ويغلفونه بتاريخ يديد..
خلها على الله حكومتك لو تبي جان وقفت هالاشكال..
November 26th, 2005 at 5:02 pm
This post has been removed by the author.
November 26th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
You see them everyday on your way to college or work. Actually some of them never change their place, walking by your car everyday. You understand the point of view of the people who say ‘don’t encourage them, if you want to help give to the proper organizatiosn’… but your guilt issues interfere with your logic. You’re sitting in your shiny car, clutching your travel mug full of java, having just rolled out of your comfortable bed, and for some reason you can even meet their eyes when they nod hello. Call them beggars, street cleaners, con artistes, homeless, pity them or don’t, blame the authorities, tojar il i8amat, society, them… in the end they’re people less fortunate than you, the downtrodden. It’s strange, but the bagel you had this morning seem to sit heavily in your gut, and your love of excess starts scratching at your conscience door. Thankfully the light turns green and you leave your guilt behind with a little rubber. And really who can blame you for speeding off when you’re escaping one of the biggest downers of all, guilt? Ten minutes later you’re among your equally affluent friends/classmates/coworkers and that feeling is just a distant memory.
Thanks for the topic, and the opportunity to think.
November 26th, 2005 at 8:53 pm
I agree, and my heart really sinks when I see either of those
I wish something could be done about it. I’m not sure why the government is turning a blind eye to this.
November 26th, 2005 at 11:40 pm
We feel guilty because Muslims are taught never to refuse one that asks for help or assistance. Also what was mentioned about being affluent and feeling guilty about it.
The truth is, everytime you see someone holding a black bag and looking pitiful and give him money, you are encouraging beggars.
If you can, offer a job. Otherwise, these people should be working or go back home instead of going through our trash. And they should be sent back home en masse. I think there is an excess of this kind of labour in the market.
November 27th, 2005 at 3:06 am
Jewaira, my point exactly, SnoCon spoke of all the valid feelings we humans feel when we see such an ordeal.. I feel what he/she feels when I am at their presence, but we have to have some control, we can’t solve a problem by making it worse.. but if you can offer a job, that would be the right move, the thing is, they are making good money from begging, and it’s easier than heavy lifting for eight hours, so most of them tend to refuse job offers and just stay around traffic lights.. (it’s very complicated really..)
November 27th, 2005 at 11:32 am
This post has been removed by the author.
November 27th, 2005 at 1:52 pm
Q .. I totally agree with you from a security-issue stand point. But your title said “homeless” then you went on talking about beggers. Do you think most of them are actually homeless?
I wrote about this a while ago (http://jandeef.blogspot.com/2005/05/spare-some-change.html) that I still believe giving money randomly on the street actually perpetuates their problem. Or as Michael Jordan says: “If someone can stand all day and ask for money, they can definitely say ‘Hello, welcome to McDonald’s’.”
November 27th, 2005 at 4:13 pm
Jandeef, I agree that giving them money only makes a bad situation worse, but you can’t possibly believe that they can just go out and get a job. These people have been brought here under false pretenses, by individuals who do this for their own benefits. Instead of work permits, they have a number of dependants in their native land. Terrible living conditions, hopelessness, and suicide are the norm, and the only thing that drove them here is desperation. The don’s idea of offering them jobs is a good one, but not everyone can do that. It’s a problem that needs a solution, but there are no pat answers here. Also, it’s a sensitive issue because it involves human emotions. I’m not sure that deporting these people en masse is an optimal solution.
November 27th, 2005 at 8:07 pm
Masakeen we are the Kuwaities on our faces
Baggers ,Human rats, Mafia ,gangs,pimps we should know thier history ya jama3a ask their neighbours Indians and Pakistanis about them.
Our country is been rubbed under the vision of all authorities.
Password access to C.ID , MOROR, Airport, loubor affir and all public /goverment access have been hacked by SAlam BAba ” Most Tea Boys are computer wizard”.
But I Assume our goverment and most of its empolyee see them as source of genarating money and to break laws Through them for some beloved friends
finally the fact that they are cheapest and most bribable people.
November 29th, 2005 at 12:46 pm
Guys what about those kids you see at the traffic lights trying to sell you 5al6at o perfumes,eyoonik 3end el eshara and they beg you to buy from them….they swerve between cars not only putting themselves to danger…but drivers too.
shno hal manthar hatha…..Tra e7na bil Kuwait 9al 3la ennebi….mo eb ma9er aw el hind where young beggers are wondering the streets….another thing is those kids on side walks outside co-ops and almost everywhere…selling pirated DVD’s….ween el tejara 3anhom…ween el she2oon…ween el 7ekooma 3anhom…hatheele wel traffic light kids i think are controlled by a large mafia..its an organized thing….its big…its all over Kuwait….theres someone behind it…..oo mo ay someone…someone with a big was6a ….and no ‘6ameer.
November 29th, 2005 at 12:53 pm
Eternal indentured servitude. This is not the first post I’ve read that mentioned this problem, so it’s good to know that this dilemma is observed and known to many. I don’t think they’re homeless though; don’t they live in “cheenko”’s? Just a guess. I also think that their embassies (Indian, Bangladesh, etc.) should look into it; obtaining a housekeeper from India is harder than it was a few years ago because of the atrocious conditions some of them went through in their employer’s houses. If Kuwaiti institutions continue to overlook this issue, then it might as well be transferred to the laborers’ embassy in order to establish an official and grounded code that protects these unfortunate beings from these horrible living conditions.
November 29th, 2005 at 1:10 pm
nice post Q. Don’t forget that tojaar aliqamat are part of this problem. i’m gonna write a post similar to urs soon.
July 3rd, 2006 at 8:05 am
I think this problem will the increase the the crime rate in the long run. these people stay on traffic lights to get anything to servive. As we all know everthing become expensive these day and even thses labours get paid by the employers or companies it’s not enough. there salary is from 40 to 100 kd.
from my experiance the kuwait government make contract with cleaing companies at rate 120 Kd and the company pay for those labours only 30 K.D which it is not fare at all
best regards