Street urchins

Street urchins

The three articles about street urchins in the Sunday edition
of The Jakarta Post really moved me. I pity those children who at
such a very young age have to live off the streets and endure the
hardships, injustices, treacheries and all the other agonies of
such a life.

Living as street urchins has made them truly independent of
anyone as they have to face all their problems -- the hunger, the
fears and the injustices -- all by themselves. This kind of
experience molds their psyche and they grow up learning from the
lessons which their environment has taught them. They are not the
ones to blame if later on they become mean and tough because even
as children they were never or seldom treated with kindness.

What makes me feel uneasy is the way security officers are
reported to be treating those children. They are chased around,
detained and beaten and the wares they sell are confiscated. The
security officers are not the ones they turn to whenever they are
in trouble, the urchins are not likely to ask for protection when
they are threatened or request a place to hide when they are
pursued.

My highest regard to all the social workers who are devoting
their attention to look after these children. I admire the way
those who run the open houses are treating them, accepting them
as they are. The children are not forced or coerced to live
according to their mentors' wishes.

Could I have the addresses of those homes? I will make it a
point to visit them when I get to be in Bandung.

MARIA FELISIA

Padang, West Sumatra