Children without childhood

I can tolerate power outages, lack of water, not having a decent Internet connection, gas and food prices going up, even clashes and explosions if this should happen again GOD FORBID! I can live with crazy stupid drivers on the roads, and people who take advantage of my ignorance of the "Lebanese way", thieves and liars. I will eventually get used to all the plastic and fake people, the nannies playing with the babies while mommies are home doing absolutely nothing more important. But there's one thing that I cannot accept, will not get used to and will never tolerate.

Most of you who live in Lebanon have surely been on the busy streets of Beirut and its suburbs and been approached by kids who want to sell stuff or simply beg for some loose change. Little kids of 6 years and up (I pray they are not any younger even). It really breaks my heart to see these little people with dark like dirt faces coming to the cars' windows and sticking themselves there trying to get money. This is simply NOT HUMAN, no matter where they come from and who they are.

These kids are innocent. I tried once to ask a kid to put a hat so the sun won't hit him, I don't think he understood what I was talking about, as if programmed to say certain sentences only or taught the ways of begging/selling and nothing else. Last week I offered a kid beggar a candy instead, he was no taller than the window of the car. How I wished if I could just hold him, hug him and take him to a safe and happy place.

Why are these kids on the streets? Why isn't anyone taking care of them? Where are the children's organizations and why aren't they doing something to spare these kids from the animals who are stealing their innocence and their childhood from them? What will become of these children when they become men and women of the world? Will they ever grow up to be any better? Will they know how to have friends, how to laugh, how to love and be happy?

Kids are supposed to be at home, cleaned up, well fed, educated and they are supposed to play, smile, and enjoy their childhood, not begging for money and put in the danger of busy streets. Something should be done about that, it is seriously very disturbing, to the point that it can be a good deed to steal these kids and take them home!!!