Jakarta's Street Kids -- Younger and Counting

As I refer to Saturday's "The Straits Times", I found out that under Part C, World, I realise that the main pages is about "Jakarta's Street Kids-- younger and increasing". For me, i felt spellbound by this happening, it seems to me that Jakarta is becoming a slum AGAIN!



I was from jakarta, and when I was very young, I stayed there for a while. At that point in time, it obviously wasn't as technologically-advanced as it is now and obviously not as much street kids as it is now. It was just a few handful of them, waiting for the traffic lights to be red, then grabbing the golden opportunity to get money or whatever they want. They would stand outside your car windows, singing and dancing or even selling itmes. However, my windows would usually be closed, so all I could see was their mouth movements. I still thought that they were showing some funny magic trick with their mouths back then, but it wasn't the case.



I went back just last year, and now it just wasn't the same... At almost every junction and I literally mean every junction, there would be many street kids, sprinting towards different cars, afraid that others would steal their chance, and do those "funny magic tricks" again. I then really understood what they were doing. However, I didn't give any care towards them. I just looked in front, looking at the number of street kids, looking at the traffic lights and looking at the road in front of me. I couldn't care less!



As compared to the past, I could see the mass difference between the street kids, past, present and future :



Past:

1) Lesser street kids

2) Street kids always above 10

3) No infants around

4) Never bang the windows



Present:

1) One whole swarm of street kids

2) Street kids even have 10 years and below

3) Infants being carried by the brothers and sisters

4) THEY BANG WINDOWS!!!



So now what? What is the Jakarta givernment going to do about them??? They say " Officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs have since said that they aim to clear street children from big Indonesian cities by next year".

Let's just sit back, relax and see what will happen. Will the numbers and severity increase or decrease? Let's just see the magic...