Street Children Are Citizens Too

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Two girls loiter on a sidewalk near an intersection in the Gelora area, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (19/11/2019). Exploited by adults, many children in the capital are forced to work late into the night, begging on the streets. A comprehensive solution involving all stakeholders is needed to tackle this violation of children’s rights.

Street children are like an iceberg phenomenon, the issue is much larger than what appears on the surface. They are also citizens that must be taken care of.

Kompas published a report on street children that has not received the full attention of the state. Data from the Social Affairs Ministry show that as of 2018, the number of street children in several big cities is around 12,000.