Street Children in Jakarta Earn Up to Rp 30,000 a Day by Selling Tissues and Dropping Out of School

Street children in Central Jakarta are reported to earn between Rp 10,000 and Rp 30,000 a day by selling tissues around stations and traffic lights. Some have dropped out of school to help their families, while others still attend, balancing schooling with sales. Rizky (not his real name), 11, from Menteng Atas in South Jakarta, has been doing this for almost eight months around Cikini Station. He had once attended school but stopped to assist his parents selling tissues. “No (I’m not in school), I did go to school but didn’t continue,” he says.

Yaya, 10, and Vian, 9, are among those who have left schooling to work. Yaya works from around 14:00 until sunset and earns between Rp 20,000 and Rp 30,000 per day. “I’m not in school anymore,” Yaya tells reporters in the Gondangdia area. Vian has a similar experience. “If it’s busy it’s more. They’re saved up,” he says briefly.

They tend to pull over or run when the traffic light turns green, showing awareness of the road danger. “On weekdays I usually get about Rp 15,000. On Saturdays-Sundays it can be more,” Aldi notes. Unlike Rizky, Aldi continues to attend school while also helping his mother with his sales earnings.

Bagas, 13, from Kampung Rawa, Johar Baru, stopped schooling about a year ago. He now lives with his grandmother after his parents separated. “At first I just followed friends. Gradually it became every day,” Bagas explains.