South Africa's Dilemma: To Risk or Not to Risk?

Almost every week, for the past two months, Bruce, an older, homeless gentleman, visits our house to beg for money.  Each time, he offers a tired smile and a different reason why – his son is in the hospital with asthma; he has food but no way to cook it; the government refuses to give him disability payments. In Cape Town, tragically, there are millions of people in Bruce’s shoes.  As to whether he’s telling the truth, there’s no way to tell.  What is obvious is that Bruce is in a tough spot, missing one eye “from a work accident” and struggling to walk on his left side.  For me, his visits/ requests are no big deal; for Carolyn and the kids, they certainly are.    Yes, I can understand why they are slightly unsettled by his appearance, but, in my opinion, Bruce seems harmless enough.  Under the circumstances, giving him 20 rand a visit, just shy of $1.50 a pop, seems like a reasonable thing to do.  As Carolyn points out, however, doing so ensures his return and renders him increasingly dependent upon our charity.  And though he appears emotionally intact, pervasive poverty in Cape Town does strange things to people, and I don't want to just assume that Bruce wouldn’t harm a soul.  For that reason alone, Carolyn and the kids want me to ask Bruce not to come back, which I feel is both unnecessary and harsh.  Therein lies the dilemma that is South Africa, to accept or avoid risk altogether.  For several weeks now, I have eagerly explored opportunities to help out in township schools.  Whenever I stumble upon an inroad, though, a chorus of people warn me against it, advising me to look into “safer” options that don’t involve “possible gang activity.”  Again, I appreciate the importance of thinking before acting, especially here, but refusing to go into impoverished areas due to “possible risk” does absolutely nothing to help people in dire need of everything.  Without accepting some risk, how can people actually make any difference at all?  For me, that has been the greatest challenge while living here, knowing when to stay the course to see if I can be of help, or to bail because the risks are too great.  I hope that more experience here will show the way.