Street children sing to fight drug abuses

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An emcee wearing a white-and-blue senior high school uniform poses a question to a trio of street children singers from South Jakarta who have just performed.

"How long did it take you to compose the song?" he said.

One of the trio pretended to think, then, with a cheeky grin, quipped: "About a minute before we came on stage."

The answer sent the people in the audience into thunderous applause and laughter.

The group, Gaeng, was one of five groups of street children performers from five municipalities in the capital participating in an antidrug jingle competition held last Saturday by students of state senior high school SMU 47 in Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta.

If the South Jakarta group won the heart of the audience, it was a group, ABI, or Anak Bangsa Indonesia (Children of Indonesia), from East Java that won the hearts and minds of the jury and won the competition.

ABI members (photo above) won the first prize with their jingle, Generasi Antinarkoba (Antidrug Generation). Second was Sabu (Sarapan Bubur or Breakfast Porridge) from North Jakarta, while Gaeng made it into third.

The competition was held in conjunction with the International Day highlighting Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking on Sunday. It was also an event on the school's annual art festival program.

"We don't pretend to ourselves that this event will solve all the street children's problems. We just want them to enjoy themselves and have a good time," said M. Iqbal, a member of the festival committee.

The students had also decided to hold this year's art festival in a more modest way to save costs, he said. Three years ago the school organized an extravagant celebration, during which two students died and several others were injured when a hydrogen canister they were using to color balloons during preparations exploded.

"We don't want a repeat of such an incident. (The accident) occurred because the students were cutting costs and trying to hold a lavish festival despite tight budget constraints," said school committee head Suparman Tresna Friya said.

"That's why when the students came up with the idea of holding a jingle competition for street children, and we are right behind the idea as the event helps raise the students' social awareness," he said.

Jurors in the competition were representatives from The Jakarta Post, the Warta Kota daily, RCTI, Indosiar and state- owned TV and radio stations TVRI and RRI.

"We invited the media to take part in the event to help disseminate efforts made by young people, students and street children, to combat drug abuse and drug trafficking," said Azwina Aziz Miraza, the head of the Cahaya Hati Bangsa Foundation, one of the sponsors of the event.

Also present to support the competition were the Mercedes Benz Tiger and the Harley Davidson clubs.

The school's principal, Laily Saher, said the festival would end on a high with a talk show and musical performance on July 2 at the Gerbang Pemuda Complex in Taman Ria Senayan, Central Jakarta.

The performance will feature singers including Andi of /rif, Iton of Club 80's, Netral, film actress Nani Wijaya and actor Aji Pangestu.