JEDDAH, 13 November 2004 — Women gathering at the gates and entrances of houses and companies to beg is a strange yet common phenomenon seen during the last days of Ramadan.
Crowds of women and children of different nationalities cluster asking for charity at the doorsteps and gates of villas and companies of prominent businessmen.
Arab News went to the entrance of a house belonging to a very prominent Jeddah family and met with the women who had gathered there with their children.
“My three sisters and myself come here to beg for financial help”, said Leila Ahmad. “Even if we get only SR50 it’s a blessing. Sometimes we get SR100.”
Umm Ali said that she went to companies and the houses of the rich so that they could give her clothes. Khuloud Al-Otaibi said: “I’ve been trying to get in touch with a prominent businessman through his secretary and he’s been dodging me. He tells me he’s in company meetings. I’ve got two sons in high school and they can’t get jobs so I’m forced to do this to get some help.”
Some of the women take advantage of their poor situation. “I go in Ramadan every year to one of Jeddah’s famous businessmen,” Abeer Abdullah said. “I get gifts worth SR100 to SR500. But the employees there harass me.”
The women are not above dealing out their own harassment; three of them attacked the cameraman who photographed them begging.
Abu Fahd, a rich businessman said poor women come to him every Ramadan, but their numbers are increasing. This year especially, the number of women and children has increased massively.”
Another businessman said: “I donate money to the charities all the time, I don’t know why they don’t go to the charities. It’s baffling.”
