Indonesia Sets 2014 Target for Pulling Children Off Streets
Three street kids are cleaning bajaj minicab glass in the midst of rain in Senen crossroad, in Central Jakarta. (JG Photo/Yudhi Sukma Wijaya)
The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs wants to see all homeless children off the streets by 2014, Minister Salim Segaf Aljufri said on Saturday during a trip to one of the capital's slums.
"West Java has targeted to clear street children by 2014. We will be evaluating [this program] and establishing partnerships," the minister said during a visit to the Jati Bunder area of Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta, to see those in the targeted group for himself.
The Bandung City Administration last year planned on offering the approximately 2,000 street children an amount of Rp 1.5 million ($150) each annually as part of the "Bandung Free of Street Children in 2014" program.
According to the ministry, programs during 2011 resulted in 80 percent of street children being removed from the streets. In Jakarta, a program similar to that in Bandung was successful in helping 8,000 children.
An earlier statement by the minister said Indonesia was home to a total of 4.5 million street children.
During the Saturday visit, the ministry also called on regional governments to prioritize budget allocations to ensure the safety, health and education of these children, in addition to funds from the state budget.
Ramadan raids
In the city center, the existence of street children remains evident as they work on main roads washing car windows and selling newspapers.
Law enforcement institutions have moved to carry out raids, taking at-risk children to orphanages.
In a report by JPPN.com, North Jakarta Satpol PP head Supartono said reports from residents had become an important part of the agency's operation to clear beggars and homeless children as police would not have known about several spots without their help.
The agency has also decided to ramp up its operations during the month of Ramadan in order to work with children who attend free pre-dawn meals in a program known as "Sahur on the Road."
Supartono called on residents and mass organizations to report any events that were found intrusive or disorderly, especially during Ramadan.
"Mass organizations are prohibited from conducting raids, but monitoring and reporting is clearly a collective responsibility," he said, as quoted by JPPN.com.
In a recent raid, Satpol PP's operational division chief Salmon Nadapdap said his personnel launched intense monitoring in North Jakarta for Ramadan, taking up to 13 people off the streets in one day.
According to Salman, the growing number of beggars during Ramadan has become an annual cycle, but he vowed to continue conducting operations around the North Jakarta area.
"We will continue to put efforts into creating a sense of security for the residents [of North Jakarta], especially considering this is the month of Ramadan," he said .
The North Jakarta Satpol PP has deployed more than 15 of its personnel.
Public initiatives
As the government mulls over its plan to eliminate street children across the archipelago, many public initiatives and organizations have made serious efforts to take these children off the streets — where various threats, including drug use and sexual abuse, remain prevalent — and to improve their livelihood.
Such organizations would often provide free education and temporary shelters where children can gain basic knowledge on different subjects and even be funded to enter higher education institutions.
Among them is the Mosque Terminal School, popularly known as "Master," in Depok, West Java, which has been providing free education since 2002 for over a thousand street children. Some of its alumni have now started attending higher education institutions such as the University of Indonesia, the Diponegoro University and the Jakarta State University.
In recent days, however, the establishment has been subject to threats of eviction under the city administration's new development plans which include the construction of an apartment and a shopping center on the land currently used by the school.
The news has sparked angry responses from both alumni of the school as well as students from the University of Indonesia, which is located nearby.
Several students have therefore taken to social media to spread the word on the issue and to earn support.
"Our activities start from media campaigns through a Twitter account … legal advocacy and fund-raising," said Muhammad Anggraito, a fund-raising coordinator for the Save Master Indonesia movement who is also a member of UI's Student Executive body.
Those participating in the campaign hope to raise the public's awareness about the future of this free school for street children.
The Depok City Administration said the news surrounding Master School's eviction was untrue, arguing the public had misinterpreted information from city officials.
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