evidence: An adult male begging each day in high tourist season may struggle to gather enough to feed his family. A young child begging will generate much more, as we feel an emotional obligation to give more to the ‘poor little child’, than to the adult. Children have become the working, money generating tools in the family network. Quite the opposite of what we’re used to at home. Yet many tourists, who have for the most part good intentions, continue to support this harmful situation. What risks does a begging child face? First, there are immediate ones – physical and emotional abuse, abduction, rape, and accidents. Longer term there are others… an increased likelihood of drug use to ease this hard lifestyle, along with the risk of being coerced into other dangerous work or bad situations (prostitution, forced labour, unsafe migration), involvement in crime plus a growing disconnection from their family and community.