Charity Chowrangi: Topographies of Giving, Receiving, and Refusal in Karachi

Like most megacities in the Global South, Karachi's streets pulse with constant streams of pedestrian and automotive activity. In addition to facilitating traffic and commerce, these intersections and roundabouts also serve as the stage for a dynamic economy of reciprocity. From free ambulance stalls to makeshift public kitchens, charitable giving at road intersections is a common feature of movement across the city. In this article, I analyze roadside giving as a means of occupying, serving, and resisting Karachi's dilapidated urban landscape. This essay utilizes ethnographic fieldwork from 2017 to 2023 to focus on one intersection amidst Karachi's concrete corridors: Jauhar Chowrangi. Rather than simply reproducing urban life, roadside giving operates within an ethical framework which underscores reciprocity as right and obligation. Yet, as recent debates surrounding begging and encroachment demonstrate, roadside giving remains a contentious practice of not only giving and receiving, but also refusal, removal, and destruction.