JOSEPH BURGHER JEVON WILLIAMS
M
EETing
Jos
oseph Burgher, native of St. J Thomas, Jamaica, born April 1, 1967 and known to most as the blind
beggar. I met him when I visited the Portmore branch of Island Grill and was greeted by the earnest calls of help from this blind man fixed right in front of Island Grill’s doors. I bought my meal but I found it extremely hard to enjoy it because all I could hear was “I’m blind and I’m hungry... I’m blind and I’m hungry, any money for the blind.” I went outside and asked him what he’d like to eat and he responded with, “Mi woulda eat a piece a chicken and a festival.” I bought him a “Satisfaction” combo and took the opportunity to strike up a conversation, which ended up being really one sided. He took the opportunity to beg continuously – clothes, he has a size 32 waist; shoes, size 11. He even wanted a couple sheets if possible. I didn’t take much of a liking to the constant begging so I left him to enjoy his meal. While making my way to the bus stop, I turned back to take a second look at realized the meal was hidden under his stool and he went right back to his speech “I’m blind and I’m hungry... I’m blind and I’m hungry, any money for the blind?” I wasn’t sure how to take this – many conflicting thoughts ran through my head. ‘He just got his food so why is he still hungry?’ ‘You took the food and hid it, isn’t that being dishonest?’ Then again I figured that the one meal probably wouldn’t be enough for the entire day so he packed it for later.
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I’m blind and i’m hungry, please and thanks i’m begging donation to buy food.
ePH B URGHER
Joseph Burger a native of St.Thomas, Jamaica. Despite what people say, his ID says that he’s legitametely blind beggar
“Bad, Very Bad, Sometime me go weeks without likkle food.” Joeseph was moved to tears when expressing to me how hard it is.”
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JosePH BURGHER Social Media Outrage
When I got home I posted a photo of him eating his meal and tagged Island Grill’s social media account. A response was received shortly after, asking me to email them as the post captioned: “Meet Rudolph Burger. He’s blind and he likes Island Grill festivals and jerk chicken” touched their hearts. At this point I felt that my simple intervention through a photo helped this blind man in some way, shape or form. However, after Island Grill posted a photo of them giving Joseph a box of food to their Facebook page, a flood of negative and derogatory comments directed at Mr. Burgher followed: “him don’t blind....lie n thief ” “if dem ever know a who dat dem a deal with old wicked boy use to live a prison. Di last time he rape an unsound mind youth. Not even di little red cent dem weh stop mek me wuda give dat old criminal.” “A real thing dawg mi see him a Old Harbor two... him don’t blind” Now, I wondered to myself, was he really blind... was I conned? I began doing some research, starting with the very same persons who made the comments under the photograph and questioned them all as to what they really knew about Joseph. It turned out that no one had facts, just rumours, hearsay and allegations from other persons.
In Search of…. My next step was to contact the Jamaica Council for the Blind, as he always spoke of an ID that legitimized him as a blind man. When I contacted them they said he wasn’t registered with them but he was always there. In fact he was there that day, tipping his cane. It was not until later that I realized that he was registered with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities.
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What really had me thinking though, was on an occasion after the posting of his image on Facebook. The interaction was worse than the first couple of times that we talked and this time he was way more demanding than before. He said persons told him about him being on Facebook and he loved the exposure and he wanted more. He asked me to help him open a Western Union account so that people from abroad that see him on Facebook could send him money. He went on to say that I would get some exposure by helping him and asked if I could write a couple articles on him and get them published. In my mind I was saying this is all escalating way too quickly and it actually had me considering Mr. Burgher’s character then and there. His tone was aggressive and this all just began to seem like one big money making scheme to me. He said he goes to the Portmore Mall on Mondays and Tuesdays to beg because the Island Grill area is a little too slow for his liking on those days so he goes to the Mall right in front of the Shopper’s Fair Supermarket to get a heavy enough stream of people, especially at the month end. Is Joseph Burgher legit? He still has a feisty and unpleasant attitude but I believe he’s legitimately blind. Yet based on my observations and being around him for a couple weeks I partially agree with some of the rumours. Maybe in his past life he was mixed up in some wrong doings and lived a not-sohonest life. Born in 1967 but he didn’t become blind until 2010 when he contracted glaucoma in his eyes which led to his blindness. I wish Joseph Burgher all the best.
The hot sun, constant rejection and reciting the same catchphrase over and over can be hard work overtime, so what happens is sometimes Joseph takes a nap every now and then.
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BEGGI BURG
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NG HER
“Ups and Downs” When things start turning for the better and persons start giving donations, that’s the upsideand you have troublemaker “friends” like Richie that makes the day longer than it needs to be. One of those trouble making friends who would from time to time walk pass and try to take a coin or two from Joseph’s pan. .
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Whenever he feels like he’s not hearing enough people to beg he works his way around to his second Island Grill location. to continue his begging.
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“
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Whenever
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T he’s
C making
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O his
U way
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around,
especially by himself it’s a task to not trip and fall.
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Sometimes during the day, it seems as if the harsh re-ality connects but has faith and waits patiently for the next passerby.
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“Full time Job” Joseph has been on the street from as early as 9am. 7:15pm and he’s still hard at work.
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