Help for the sake of God or the devil? [Archives:2002/18/Reportage]
April 29 2002
BY ABDUL MAJID AHMED
FOR THE YEMEN TIMES
I jumped up astonished and went to rebuke the one who strongly shook my door, but to my surprise I found a woman there. After I asked what she wanted, in a low, weak voice she answered she was a beggar and asked for help.
I was asked her what kind of help she needed, since she was young, about 23, rather beautiful, neatly dressed and without the appearance of a poor beggar. But she quickly replied that I had the chance to give her help for the sake of God or for the sake of devil.
I was shocked at her answer and asked what that meant. She told me that if I wanted to have some time with her for any personal purpose she would offer herself to me. That was what she meant by “help for the sake of the devil”.
Hence I reflected on this to understand this woman better, and know more about her situation in society. She explained to me that her parents were old, disabled and without any fixed resource of sustenance except her begging.
She also told me that she was divorced from her husband two years ago. She has a small daughter from him and he did not give any support for his daughter because he was jobless and addicted to qat. I ultimately advised her not to use words such as for “the devil’s sake” and not to offer herself to anyone for the sake of help. I gave her some help as possible as I could and saw her off.
I returned into my room and sat sorrowfully, thinking of the misery our people suffer, how many people have lost their dignity and turned to indecent and disgraceful situations.
Unemployment and poverty is largely what has deteriorated our people’s lives. And I can’t help but ask myself how long we will stay like poor beggars. There are millions of people in Yemen are poor and beggars.
Should we not ask ourselves who is responsible for this shameful situation?Where are the resources and wealth of our country going? We have petroleum, we have gas, we have gold, we have other things in our country. Where does all that wealth go?
Moreover, we are deeply indebted to the World Bank and other donor countries. What will our generation get after us?
Also, what have we gained from our beloved unification? Of course unification has been an achievement. But what did unification bring for us? It has brought many directions. Democracy, free press, multi-party, and other political idioms during the ten years past since our unification have done nothing for us.
The government has a good reputation due to these supposed freedoms in our country. But we have no real lasting achievement, so far. Democracy has been suffocated in Yemen, and the nation has become disappointed of any results that it has supposed to bring.
Again who was benefited from unification? As a matter of fact the leadership and relatives such as ministers, heads and officers of the army, heads and tribal chieftains who are apparently close to the have benefitted.
But for the common people, nothing has been done except a few narrow roads and communication lines and other projects have been built, which has helped a few workers.
Most of the workers particularly after unification are still city and streets cleaners. In recent times there has actually been a reduction of others, and closure of public sector departments.
In conclusion, we can say that all our country’s wealth and revenue goes to the leadership, relatives and tribal leaders. These people are in the segment of the population of Yemen who enjoy the best life.
The other three quarters of the population in Yemen suffer. As the proverbs say: “While the grass grows, the steed starves” or “One man gapes, another man gulps.”
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