Conference calls for urgent help for nation's children
Conference calls for urgent help for nation's children
JAKARTA (JP): The third National Conference on Child Welfare
ended on Saturday with a call for the government to give the
utmost priority to the nation's children as millions continue to
suffer in increasing destitution.
"We're demanding all parties pay attention and do their best
to help children in this country. If not, we might lose one
generation," chairperson of the Indonesian Child Welfare
Foundation (YKAI) Lily I. Rilantono told reporters after the
closing of the three-day conference.
Lily said that as many as 32 million children in the country
under the age of 18 continued to be prone to the effects of the
prolonged crisis, protracted conflicts and environmental
destruction.
It is estimated that between eight million to 11 million
children dropped out of elementary and junior high school last
year.
Conservative estimates here put the number of child workers at
1.9 million, while the International Labor Organization (ILO) and
the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) put it at around six
million child workers.
Lily pointed out that these figures merely scratch the surface
as a multitude of other problems such as malnutrition, street
children, children who need special protection like disabled
children and refugees also need equivalent attention.
"It needs real action from everyone to solve these problems,
including budget allocation," Lily said without elaborating.
Child activist Irwanto pointed out, however, that large sums
of money had already been poured into various child welfare
programs.
"Many agencies design a program and collect funds to help
children. But the reality is the overhead costs are higher than
the funds given to the children," Irwanto claimed.
He suggested that a method be designed in which the funds
could go directly to those in need with a third party interceding
such as the National Family Planning Board.
"Let people organize the funds, don't make too many agencies
or associations," he said.
Earlier during the conference, executive director of the
Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) Emmy Hafild called on
non-governmental organizations working in this field to raise the
specter of their advocacy to the national level.
While working at the grassroots level addressing issues like
education and street children were commendable, Emmy said there
was also a need to make children's issues national causes which
could spark public discourse and debate.
NGOs must be able to lobby at the national political level
without becoming a part of it, Emmy said on Friday. (09)