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nyone who’s taken a Caribbe-
an cruise or visited one of the
world’s less affluent countries
A has been approached – some-
times even mobbed – by children begging for
money. Many are dirty and obviously hun-
gry. Some are disabled and/or disfigured.

It’s hard to resist dropping a few coins into
their small hands, but Pakistan native and
child advocate Zulfiqar Rashid says we
must.
“Crime rings around the world traffic in
children for use as beggars, and they will
starve or maim the children to elicit more
sympathy – and money,” says Rashid, who
writes about a particularly cruel form of
this in “The Rat-boys of Karalabad,” (www.
zulfiqarrashid.com). The title refers to
children in Indo Asian countries whose
heads are tightly bound when they’re very
young resulting in stunted brains and ter-
rible disfigurement. The children are then
put to work as beggars.
“When you give money to child beg-
gars, it may well help fund the perpetua-
tion of this industry – more kidnapping,
more children starved and maimed,” says
Rashid. “Even if the children are not work-
ing for mafia types, giving them money or • Kids Around the World provides safe play • Feed My Starving Children provides
gifts gives them incentive to stay on the equipment for children in areas where, be- MannaPack meal formulas, developed
streets instead of going to school, which is cause of war, natural disasters and poverty, by food scientists to reverse and prevent
the only way out of poverty.” it’s hard to be a kid. The faith-based charity malnutrition, to missions and humani-
also trains and equips churches and Sunday tarian organizations in more than 55
Instead, consider helping those children school teachers around the world to visually countries. The food is then distributed
with a gift that can truly save their lives share the Bible with the children in their to orphanages, schools, clinics and feed-
through one of these charities. Each has communities. More than 90 percent of its ing programs. In 2012-13, the faith-based
a four-star rating – the highest possible – budget went to its programs and services charity delivered 163 million meals with
from Charity Navigator, a non-profit that in 2011. the help of more than 657,000 volunteers.
provides objective evaluations of charities: Countries served include Haiti, Nicaragua,
• Invisible Children, Inc. rescues and reha-
• Save the Children helps children and bilitates children who have been kidnapped the Philippines and North Korea. More
their families help themselves by fighting and used as soldiers or sex slaves for the than 87 percent of revenues go toward
poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease in programs and services.
rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, led by Joseph
the United States and around the world on Kony, in Central Africa. By Invisible Chil- About Zulfiqar Rashid
a daily basis. It also responds to disasters, dren’s count, more than 30,000 children
providing food, medical care and educa- Zulfiqar Rashid was born in Pakistan and
have been abducted. Many are forced to
tion, and staying in ravaged communities commit brutal atrocities, including killing now resides in southern California. As
to help rebuild. This charity spent more their parents with machetes. Invisible Chil- a regular contributor to various news-
than 91 percent of its revenues on its dren says it “exists to bring a permanent papers, Rashid has written extensively,
programs and services in 2011. (Charity recounting his travels to Pakistan, and
Navigator finds most charities spend 65 to end to LRA atrocities.” In the 2011-12 fiscal about major figures in the Pakistani artis-
year, it spent more than 81 percent of its
75 percent on the programs they exist to budget on programs and services. tic and cultural scene.
provide.)

Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014 49