i’m the kind of person who wouldn’t think twice about wading through a dirty swamp. i even arm-wrestled with guys in my younger days. by all standards, i’m probably the most un-girly girl you can find.
being in the company of guy friends most of the time means that i’m used to witnessing all kinds of disgusting acts. hell, i’m even guilty of some of these myself. i mean, i do know my manners, like not burping, and not talking with bits of food spurting out of my mouth. but i would eat food off the floor in an instant as long as it looks clean.
yet when i saw someone drinking from a half-empty cup right out of a random trash can, i had to look away.
after having dinner with my mom at chinatown, we waited for our bus at the bus stop. a frail and skinny old man that looked about 80 caught our attention (and many others). he was collecting empty aluminum drink cans from a trash can. this is a common everyday sight, but it’s still extremely sad to witness. everyone there who was waiting for their bus watched and scrutinised his every move. every single one of us there was so much better off than him. yet all we did was stood there. and stared. and judged.
then, my mom suddenly said to me in an urgent manner, “look! he’s going to drink that!” i turned and saw that he had fished out an item from the trash can. his prize catch? a transparent cup that was still half filled with a white-colored drink. and sure enough, he slurped it all down. can you imagine that? i was so flabbergasted i couldn’t help but start tearing up.
here i am, dining at nice places most of the time and eating myself fat when i’m not even hungry. not too far away there are people who are so poor they have no choice but to eat out of a trash can! i had never felt more disgusted with myself. dammit.
we gave some money to the old man and spoke with him for a while. the only family he has left are his two sisters. he has no children of his own. and at his age, he obviously can’t get a job. come to think of it, he’s not even that different from you and me. at the end of the day he’s just a normal person trying to make ends meet, to survive.
with the impending increase in GST (which i’m very unhappy about), would it really help the needy as promised? would there be less homeless people sleeping in the cold every night? would we see less elderly people collecting and selling cardboard and used cans for a living? or would it simply go towards increasing the salary of our civil servants? our ministers are already among the highest income earners of their league in the world!
i don’t have much confidence in the justification of such price increments levied on consumers. despite the frequent fare adjustments (read: hikes) in public transport, i haven’t sensed any improvement in my daily commute. i still wait half an hour for my bus every morning. i still sit in leaky buses that have their own rainy climate. it seems the bus company has decided the best way to spend its money is on useless stuff like tv mobile and its ridiculous “flag the bus early” campaign. argh!
but i digress. the purpose of this blog entry is to highlight the fact that there really are a lot of poor people in our community. and more importantly, we can help them! if you are reading this blog, chances are you are already living well enough to have your own internet connection, or at least the ability to find one.
as of blogging this, i pledge to help by giving a minimum of $2 to every elderly person i see that’s collecting used cans for a living. $2 isn’t much, but it is enough to buy him or her a warm meal. besides i know if i started off with more than $2, i may not be able to keep it going for long. who’s with me?
oh it doesn’t even have to be money. if you’re feeling poor you can always help by giving away food! a pastry from breadtalk or something. i gave away food a few times before and the recipients seemed just as grateful!
if one out of every five people that read this blog would pledge to do the same, we would be effectively helping *do a quick count* A LOT of people!
what say you? what say you?
(alright since no one asked, that last line is said by aragorn in the return of the king.)
news updates
December 6, 2006: good news! on my way to work today i gave away my first $2 (since this pledge) to an old man collecting cans near my home. he asked if i won the lottery. he also said that for every kilogram of cans he collects, he gets $1.50. $1.50! how many trash cans does he have to rummage through to collect a kilogram’s worth? those recycling companies are certainly not charitable.
December 8, 2006: this blog entry has been tomorrow-ed! does this mean there would be more of us helping the needy people around?
December 12, 2006: benson, a journalist with the sunday times, is writing an article on helping the elderly and protecting the environment. he may be including the $2 pledge as well. so those of you who have left comments would be hearing from him shortly.
December 26, 2006: my $2 pledge has been featured on channel news asia’s blogtv show. the flying dutchman interviewed me over a 3G phone for blogtv’s special christmas episode, titled “the spirit of giving”. check out the interview video.
June 23, 2007: this post has been nominated for the “most insightful post” in the ping.sg 1st anniversary blog awards.
external links
BlogTV: Interview by the Flying Dutchman
Posted by Veron ·
Uncategorized category ·
9,169 views
I share your pain, Veron. There usually is a sad story behind these poor fellers - of being abandoned by family at old age. Sometimes it’s just that disaster struck in some form, and the only refuge left was the streets. And sometimes it’s plain shitty luck that people end up being scavengers (I am not very happy using this term). Sadly there’s just no guarantee that we ourselves wouldn’t end up that ways. Life is full of surprises, mostly unpleasant!
We may not able to able to entirely uplift their kind but we definitely can do out own bit. We can forego a lot of (extravagant) things in favor of some charity/philanthropy. In my case, I can definitely skip beer for one weekend every month, and donate the money to someone more needy.
A noble gesture. Indeed, ma’am! View all comments by Beni
Interesting gesture, a valiant effort at philanthropy like what our Anonymous has said. And I see you are getting us to do it too, but can I match up to it in terms of kind-heartedness? I look in me and all I see is darkness… View all comments by Aristocrat
Correction, Gahmen only say increase minister salary, not civil servant salary, otherwise farmer will be bery happy as well… :) Pse note, civil servant includes teachers, policemen and most importantly soldiers.
Nonetheless, your kind efforts are worthy of praise and I’m very sure many more would follow suit. View all comments by Farmer
I salute your kindness!
These people are normally the quiet poorer generation as compared to the beggars. They just suffer quietly instead of begging directly. Really hope with the increase of GST, the gov will do what they promise to do, make the lives of the poor easier. View all comments by uzyn
Beni: Great to hear that you are gonna forgo beer for one weekend every month! Oh and there’s your new year resolution too. You would help so many more people!
Aristocrat: Every small effort helps! May the smiles from those you help light up the darkness in you.
Farmer: Haha I can’t help but giggle a little at your new nick. Anyway wasn’t it on the Straits Times main page a couple weeks back that “Civil Servants’ salary are likely to go up”? I don’t think that’s a good step towards helping our needy. When someone gets more, another gets less.
uzyn: Sure hope so! If we have to become poorer, I rather it makes the poor a little better off, rather than make the already rich richer. View all comments by Veron
hi veron! great thing u do there. i give away a total of $10.50 each month to poor people whom I see.. take care! View all comments by Namie
Awesome! But why $10.50 and not a whole number? Just curious. View all comments by Veron
Sometimes i wonder where all this price hike $$ goes to too.. I still see a lot of society issues in our tiny country. Its weird. There are still many people who can’t afford to have 3 meal per day. There is such a big gap between the poor n the rich. Sometimes when i make donation to the organisation, i really wonder if the money did goes out to the needy… maybe i shld give it to the needy on the streets instead of the org. View all comments by xinyi
i relate to what youre saying.
There are times when i have been made forcibly aware of my own good fortune, as a result of having seen the poor and homeless. My family has not always been affluent, (not to say they are now hehe) but i know my parents started a family very young, and with very little…
I think your pledge is a noble effort, and the amount is irrelevant, just that you give with love for your fellow man, and thanks for your own blessings.
I have been following a similar pledge, but yeah, count me in. Baby steps, but i think if anything, the one campaign has proven that all it takes is the action of a few to make a difference. View all comments by zaijian
xinyi: My sentiments exactly. In the past I made it a point to buy those $2 donation vouchers but I gave up eventually when I realised there are many bogus charities out there that prey on human kindness. The NKF saga also opened my eyes to the fact that most of the donations never actually make it to the needy.
If we gave our money to the needy we see on the streets, it would be sure to help someone that actually needs help. And at the very least we would know who our money goes to.
zaijian: I am really happy to hear of your pledge! *dances around* Baby steps indeed, but if we can make just one person’s day a little better, it is worth it. View all comments by Veron
Agree. I have a friend who get cheated to sell charity booklet.She had no choice but to sell one booklet if not no $$ for her. and i wonder whether it really go to charity.Its hold by some marketing company lo. oh gosh. normally i would give to those elderly who sell tissue. i help out at some volunter org and really saw how some elderly survive. its really not easy …
Keep it up :) and thanks for making that difference. It matters View all comments by Cheer
Cheated to sell charity booklets? Good Lord! Even in this age where we hear of certain despicable marketing companies, this is still a new high. But would you kindly enlighten us about how the elderly survive, based on your volunteering experience? View all comments by Veron
I salute you, Veron. I totally agree to what you’ve said. Nothing in this world can buy happiness. Just a little gesture means so much to so many.
Oh yah! I’m a Prison Break Fan too! So mersmerised by “Mr Michael Scotfield”. Wonder if there’s such a man out there just like him? View all comments by Sassie
Hey Sassie! Thanks for the confidence you have given me!
Oh yeah Prison Break is currently top on my all-time favorite tv show chart, followed closely by Heroes. Michael Scofield, hmmm let me see… Genius, check. Gorgeous, check. That sexy brooding attitude, check. Heart of gold with a conscience, check. Okay he’s too darn perfect to be real! View all comments by Veron
@Aristrocrat
I agree that it’s not always possible to be kind to people in general, and the homeless in particular. We already have our own baggage of problems and worries that we carry around with us all the time. So why overload ourselves with some more issues? Hence many a times we just look the other way.
But let me suggest a tried-and-tested method (at the risk of sounding holier-than-thou, which I am not). Try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes (yeah, yeah, it’s cliched, but trust me it works). Imagine yourself rummaging thru the garbage looking for leftovers/cans/whatever it might be, while the whole world looks upon you with disdain. Wouldn’t you be happy if someone came up to you with a smile and talked to you and gave you a dollar or two at that moment? We can be ones to give some happiness to these poor souls who otherwise have no other source of happiness.
We really aren’t all that self-occupied or unkind as we might think of ourselves to be. As for darkness, it’s not because our hearts are unkind, but because our eyes are closed against things which cause us discomfort and pain. It takes but just a little effort on our part to open those eyes and let the light in. View all comments by
Damn! Couldn’t say it better myself! View all comments by Veron
ya lo. my friend is only 16 and looking for some part time. they clled her there to work and after spending half her day, she realise it is to sell those coupon. haiz.
well my elderly they basically collect those newspaper and cans.Some take care of toilet and given only 2 meal. But to them. having some money is better then none..
There r ppl who take adv of them too. paying them REAL little .I always get very upset and angry when they told me.well, one thing i can do is to educate them and teach them where to get help. And just help them to apply those “user friendly ” forms.
come across some 30 plus ppl who just stay home and refuse to work while their parents have to go out to earn money. wonder whats in their head… View all comments by Cheer
My heart sank when I read that the old man actually drank that cup of water. I feel that it takes a lot of courage for the elderlys to go around, picking cardboard and cans from the trash can, or even to sell tissues on the streets.
I share your view on how 2 dollars can do wonder to some. I do the same too whenever I saw the elderlys going around selling tissues. Once, an old man offered to sell the tissue to me and I rejected since I was busy munching on my snacks. But, my conscience pricked me in the end. And I u-turn back. From then on, I never reject an elderly who is trying hard to sell something.
My dad does the same too. He collects drink cans and old newspaper for the old uncle who helps to sweep our block every morning. It doesn’t need to have a lot of money to help. It’s the thoughts that count and the effort made that bring a smile and light into someone’s life. As long as it’s within our means, we just have no reason not to help. A good turn a day, a great way to live. :)
Something unrelated: Thanks for helping me out before the start of my semester. Made some little gifts for my online friends, and here’s yours. :) Good thing that there is the edit function! I forgot to add in the link previously, then I added the wrong one. lol. =X View all comments by Lain
sis and i would pack up our newspapers and tell the person who sweeps our block to collect it later. they can then sell it. we feel they prefer that than giving them money.
btw, TVMobile and fare hikes should not be lumped together. TVMobile has nothing to do with fare hikes. hope you don’t mind being corrected. that sentence should be edited, so that people would not read wrong stuff. for the record, i am not associated with both tvmob and the bus company :-) View all comments by Keropok Man
thanks for dropping by and i am glad you found the article i posted of use. yup, indeed there are in fact lots of needy people in sg. Sometimes, i am gulity myself for being so oblivious to them.
Yup, I am with you. what is $2 to compare to the levis jeans you are wearing or that Nike shirt on you? of cos, we all have our limits, give within your means. smile and the world will smile back at you.
Remember what the “spirit of giving” is really about View all comments by Jing Quan
@”Anonymous aka Beni?”
I knew I was inviting comments/trolling when I said that. Lol. No worries about the “holier-than-thou” offence. I see where you are getting at. It’s a cliched way of saying it but still I wouldn’t put it past myself to give two dollars to everyone who’s collecting drink cans. Really, I don’t think I am that social-minded. And I’m sure it’s not a matter of seeing something that’s discomforting or letting light into my eyes, to speak metaphorically. I think there are more things discomforting than that.
But certainly I do not mean to put down Veron’s effort in any way.
*Looks around for lightning to strike him* View all comments by Aristocrat
Marvelous entry blog i ever read ! I shall say the pledge with my fist on my chest ! Salute. =)
my exam is over!! Chicken rice?? haha.. shall wait for yr sms! tata View all comments by KeOn
you’re a hero in ur own right veron ^_^
“save the cheerleader, save the world” View all comments by hiro nakamura
Whoa so many comments! I can hardly keep up :)
Cheer: My heart really goes out to those elderly parents whose children refuse to work. It makes me fume at the same time. In our society any young and able person has no excuse to be jobless.
Lain: I’m glad you buy those tissue packets from elderly sellers! I see 9 out of 10 people rejecting them and it’s pretty sad. Many thanks for the thoughtful little card! Love the purple and the flower. Everyone should be able to admire your artwork so here it is:
Keropok Man: The whole idea behind my $2 pledge is to help these elderly people who make only a pittance amount of money from selling cans. 1 kilogram of cans earns them just $1.50. Do you know how many cans that is? Giving them more cans and newspapers to sell is a nice gesture, but it wouldn’t benefit them as much as directly giving them enough money to buy a warm meal.
As for TV Mobile, I apologise if I got my facts wrong. But I find it hard to believe that with the fare hikes we have had to put up with in recent years, none of the money went towards installing two TVs on every bus.
Jing Quan: Oh yeah, ’tis the season to be giving! I may be wrong but it seems the typical Singaporean is not exactly generous with his money even if he can well afford it as compared to the needy. I really hope people would start being more giving and charitable.
Aristocrat: Not sure who posted the previous anonymous comment. But I appreciate that you can be so forthcoming in voicing your honest opinion, and it probably represents 99.99% of what our fellow countrymen are thinking. My $2 pledge is not something that I expect everyone to adopt, because I don’t expect anyone to conform to my ideals. At the end of the day, I am only trying to appeal to those of us who are better off, to help those who are worse off. Everyone deserves a little pick-me-up no matter how poor they are.
KeOn: Sure! Chicken rice! I’m absolutely thrilled that you have taken the pledge too!
hiro nakamura: I ain’t no hero. Just doing what I can :) It’s nice to be called one though! Hiro was totally adorable in this week’s episode by the way! View all comments by Veron
@Aristocrat
No point masquerading around as Anonymous anymore, I guess :)
Yeah you’re correct in saying that we can’t start giving away money to everyone who’s collecting cans. That’d be overkill, and at that rate, very soon we’ll end up as one of them. Unless of course if you own a diamond mine or something!
And yes these problems are miniscule in the larger scheme of things. We’ve got wars, riots, racism, communalism, global warming, pollution, blah blah blah…
I am not at all trying to start a flame war, or to impose my opinions on others (which is an impossibility anyway) by responding twice to your comments. Rather, I am somewhat in agreement with your views. Except maybe I am a tad more “social-minded” than you are. No offence meant! View all comments by Beni
Yes, there is a lot of poor folks out there who do need our sympathy and charity (be it in kindness or monetary means).
Btw, you got a great a blog! Liked the previous post about you requiring protection, to safeguard yourself ;P View all comments by James
Hey Beni,
I don’t think it’s that infeasible an idea to give money this way. I’m talking about giving $2 to every elderly can-collector that I see. How many would that be? Some days I may come across 2 or 3 of them. Other days I don’t even come across any.
But for the purpose of illustrating, let’s say I help an average of one person a day. We’re talking $2 a day, $60 a month. It’s just a few percentage points off my daily income. I think I would still be living a much more comfortable life than the people I have helped, and far off from having to collect cans myself.
Right now I am still a fresh grad holding my first job. I can safely say that my monthly salary is lower than the majority of the working people here that have left comments. If I can well afford to spare $60 a month to help people this way, I don’t think anyone should really be playing the “I want to but I can’t afford it” card.
That said, I have to emphasise again that I’m not imposing my views on anyone. Perhaps I am not empathetic enough and have overlooked certain things (to which anyone is free to voice out). The amount $2 is an arbitrary value and it would be just as nice if it’s 50 cents or a packet of food. It’s great to hear that you are making little sacrifices such as giving up that weekend beer for someone else :)
The grand idea is to make someone’s day (I dare not say “life”) a little better. View all comments by Veron
Veron,
Err.. I think there’s a slight confusion here. Maybe there was some ambiguity in what I said. Or maybe I exaggerated when gave that instance of owning a diamond mine. Let me defend my case please.
About feasibility, I completely forgot that I am in a different geography altogether and we were talking about needy people here. The place where I come from, you will encounter beggars, homeless people, and what not, in every corner of the street. Say you take out your wallet to give away some money. In no time, a whole troupe would be hounding you down for more cash. It’s a very common sight to see beggars actually clinging onto some well-dressed person until she parts with some money. And then the next beggar would start the same thing, and so on until she escapes in a taxi, or some cop/blessed soul comes to her rescue. And sometimes they wouldn’t let go of you for anything less than say, 10 bucks. Now you fret not, as this is not the case all over the place, but only in bigger cities where business/economy thrives.
Only when you mentioned about meeting 2-3 needy people, or none everyday, did realization dawn upon me that things are very different here. Firstly, there is no concept of begging. If someone’s needy, she will sell paper napkins, or pick up a guitar and sing besides bus/MRT stations. Now that’s called dignity and self-respect!
Ok. Digression is becoming second nature to me. Coming back to your example of $60 per month, it is indeed a very feasible amount. It can in no way lead us to our financial downfall, as I had previously (wrongly) suggested. And yes, it is less than my weekend beer cost :) So it’s very much doable as long as I am here, and maybe once I am back in my country, I can carry this forward in some way or the other. View all comments by Beni
hey there….
i am a regular visitor of ur site…u have done an incredible work alwz. wud like to know as how do u create such ideas of gesting up the thots on ur space. i have even put ur website link in my buddies in the website link i have specied. do visit by ma space…wud like to know more abt ya. i am a 24 yr old gal from india. View all comments by juhi
I’m just curious, have you met any can-collector who has so much self-respect that he/she refused your $2?
I think your action beats any charity organization in Singapore. =D View all comments by chillycraps
Beni: The situation you described is one that I have heard many times before from other travelers. It’s sad that so many people turn to begging to make a living. Those that demand at least $10 makes me think that they are part of some syndicate. Begging is probably a lucrative business for some.
In Singapore most of the needy seem willing to work to earn their keep. If I’m not wrong, begging is considered illegal here. View all comments by Veron
juhi: Thanks for your kind words. For some reason I can’t seem to access your page.
chillycraps: So far I have given money to just two can-collectors. Both were very grateful for it. But I have to say that each time, I did fear the possibility of getting a scolding, should the person think I’m somehow looking down on him/her. But that isn’t the case and I hope they would understand my intentions. View all comments by Veron
The New Paper did a scoop on beggars in Singapore some time back, and apparently, some of them are earning enough from begging to surpass even some professional jobs!
Now if only I can find the article again…
That aside, while being charitable is a noble activity, there should be a need to exercise discretion, so that we do not let those whom do not need it take advantage of the donations.
The NKF saga is a very good lesson for us to reflect upon. View all comments by pkchukiss
Hey pkchukiss, I think you might have missed the point.
While I do agree with you that begging is probably a lucrative business for some, I must highlight the fact that can-collectors are *not* beggars. They are literally working for every cent and not asking anyone for money. Please do not classify them in the same league as beggars.
Like I said in comment #10, the NKF saga is precisely the reason why I am giving money *directly* to the people in need. That is the premise of this pledge. View all comments by Veron
if there were more people like you, the world would definitely be a better place to live in. View all comments by tinkertailor
The truth is, there CAN be more people doing the same thing, no? View all comments by Veron
your kind acts will deserve good karma!
my lecturer once told us that one elite thought there were no poor people in our society.
sad to say, that’s how most people think. despite the GINI index to be relatively lower than some developed countries, it doesn’t mean that there are no poor people in our society.
i too cannot understand how the GST hike will help the lower income group. will it be true that they will not spend so much money on non-essential items so they won’t be as affected as the middle and upper class? View all comments by wY
“As for TV Mobile, I apologise if I got my facts wrong. But I find it hard to believe that with the fare hikes we have had to put up with in recent years, none of the money went towards installing two TVs on every bus.”
With regards to TV Mobile, The Straits Times published a forum article by SBS Transit Corporate Communications Director Ms Tammy Tan on 2 November 2006 entitled “TV Mobile Gets Thumbs-Up from Riders”. In her letter, she commented, “We do not pay for TV Mobile. Instead, it provides a revenue stream for us like bus advertisements. This is important to help us defray the high costs of running a nationwide public transport network and keeping fares affordable.” View all comments by Wei Zhong
its a wonderful idea. and i’m willing to try it!
also timely cos christmas is coming and its good to further stretch our ‘charity’ to beyond the shopping centers. :) View all comments by nartz
*another deluge of comments!*
None taken Beni ;) We just have our different ways of making someone’s day, that’s all. =)
edit: no wonder, someone tomorrow-ed your post! View all comments by Aristocrat
Dear Veron,
Hi! You have set a good example by putting in action to help the poor directly as well as encouraging others to do the same.
I believe in God. Surely God will bless you for your kindness that comes sincerely from your heart. Yes, give out of love to others and expect nothing in return. It could be money (give within your means), food, clothings and a simple prayer or even a sincere smile.
Keep up your charitable good works from your heart. Whatever we do in our daily living, God is always there watching.
God Bless you and your family in great abundance! View all comments by Quah
Hi Veron,
Sorry if my last comment seemed ambiguous; I wasn’t talking about your pledge in general, but rather, to bring up the need for caution when being charitable.
I didn’t mean for you to take it the other way though, but I want to highlight the urgent need to make sure that the middle-men do not squirrel off a portion of donations. Already, it is getting to be a big industry out there, and we don’t want charity to be outsourced, do we? View all comments by pkchukiss
For those that like to help out the smaller charities, like to invite everyone to drop by http://wanttotrade.sg where a few of us set it up for those charities (usually not as well known as the bigger cousins) to list the items that they like to have.
It is a platform for the charities to have an online ‘voice’ View all comments by Paddy
What one of my colleagues would do is to keep emptied cans and give those cans to one of the elderly person who regularly collects cans in the neighbourhood. This is probably another way to lend a hand if the elderly person insist not to take money. View all comments by py
Just thought to share this: there are, indeed, some tissue sellers (particularly those at hawker centres) that come in buses from across the causeway.
My colleague who’s family runs a stall in a hawker centre sees them frequently.
At home, we try to give away our clothes we seldom wear to the maids staying around. Then of course there’re the old newspapers or re-useable items that the cleaners are more than willing to take over. And when they help to do a little extra, we make it a point to “tip” them.
Anyway, I think your movement is very very commendable. More people need to know about this movement. View all comments by juz_A_gal
thought your post was a wonderful reminder of the kind of humanity that we can most certainly afford to dish out every day. glad you’ve been tomorrow-ed too.:) View all comments by BoY
Kindness begets kindness. Direct giving to the elderly poor if one comes across them is more effective than giving thru organisations.
A great start. Hopefully others will be encouraged to follow. View all comments by Apple
Kudos to you Veron, you’ve really got such a beautiful heart. Once in a while I find myself to be in a rather charitable mood as well. making some donations to charity, signing up for a couple of volunteer work with friends and stuff. But this act always seem to be unsustainable. After a short stint at it, it just gets weary and soon I’m another ignorant citizen in the society again. Until something or someone inspires me again, but the cycle just repeats itself and soon I’m lazing arond again.
I guess it takes a truely kind heart to be able to actively involved in philanthropy. Something that when I look at myself, I find missing. View all comments by weisheng
The papers did announce that civil servants will get more. But we don’t know if they mean existing civil servants (unlikely) or newly recruited ones (most probably). And not all civil servants are earning a lot. More than the poor, definitely, but sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet also, especially when you need to repay the CPF loan for your degree. AND you’re looking at yet another debt when you get married and apply for housing loan. >. View all comments by Joey
Because of your love and kindess. The world will be a better place.
Generally, civil servants don’t earn alot. But they are fortunate enough to have a roof over their head and a decently wages to pay off their financial obligaion. View all comments by Darren Low