Street kids hold 'Kampore' camp in Cibubur

JAKARTA (JP): About 400 street children, beggars and vendors from throughout the nation gathered for a three-day summer break that ends today at a scout camping ground in Cibubur.

The participants were mainly from slum areas in Greater Jakarta; Bandung, West Java; Semarang, Central Java; Medan, North Sumatra, and Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara and joined the Kampore event organized by the Jakarta Social Institute (ISJ). The children plan to hold a press conference today before returning to their home towns.

Four 13-year-old vendors from Mataram were curiously looking for the skycrapers they had often seen on television.

"But where are the buildings?" one of them asked.

Jurfi, Zurkan, Samsul and Lalu were surprised to learn there were so many street children in Jakarta.

"Imagine, who could believe that hundreds of children live like us in Jakarta," Zurkan said.

Zurfi said he learnt to speak English by watching programs on his neighbor's TV set. "I love Hitachi!," he said proudly, adding that they sometimes play dominoes together and bid Rp 50 (US$ 0.02) each round. "We play fair, not like Eddy (Tansil)," Samsul said.

Most of the children, ranging from seven to 14 years old, called themselves survivors because they had become financially and socially independent since they were less than six years old.

Thirteen-year-old Mansyur, a street kid from Jakarta, lost his left leg after he slipped from the top of a train carriage.

The institute offices in each province paid for the children's transportation and board. Each of them still had to pay Rp 2,000 for other needs. They were supervised by social workers who provided them with 39 tents.

A special large tent exhibited the children's paintings and handicrafts made from trash. A small stage with a complete sound system was set in the middle of the campground where children performed street-life drama and singing.

The event encouraged the children to express their sorrows, happiness, conflicts and dreams through open dialog and speeches.

"All parents and authorities need to realize these kids are not dangerous; they need older people to educate and care for them," head of the institute's public relations, Anton Pradjasto said.

The street children were ignorant of their age, education needs and family but they had innate survival instinct, said Anton.

Thirty Jakarta and 11 Semarang street kids, some who had fake tattoos on their bodies and arms, said their highest education was elementary school.

"We can read, so we don't need higher education to survive," one of them said. He demanded authorities be more lenient in treating them.

Seven-year-old Heri said he survived by singing in the streets, begging or polishing shoes.

"I don't know where my parents are, I think my father is dead."

Referring to a 1988 municipality decree No. 11, which bans singing, hawking and begging in public areas, Anton said the government should tolerate the children's effort to survive.

"These children can earn between Rp 2,000 and Rp 5,000 a day, which is a source of their pride," he said. (10)