About Us | The Sahabat Anak Movement

The Declaration of The Sahabat Anak Movement

The Sahabat Anak (SA) Movement believes that every child is a precious and worthy being that is equal to all human beings.

The SA Movement appreciates, respects and fights for children's basic rights, which are to live, to grow, and to be protected while also participating in civil society.

In English Sahabat Anak means a child's friend. As our name suggests it is through our friendship with children that we fight for their basic rights. We invest our time, energy and resources into helping children access their right to education and a life free of poverty, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or social class.

Jakarta, Sunday 17 February, 2008

The 10 Rights of Indonesian Child

(As stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989)

Every child in the world has the right:

to play
to education
to have their rights protected
to a legally registered name
to a nationality (to belong to a country)
to nutritious food
to health care access
to relax and play
to equality
to participate in their country’s development

Let’s Be Their Friends

Based on the experience of many of Sahabat Anak’s volunteers when dealing with street children, they have concluded that it is not just material things that they need. Special care, a willingness to listen, taking time to chat and giving them compassion are the real essential needs of less fortunate children. They need someone to be a FRIEND.

Most philantrophy acts only focus on the tip of the iceberg. Giving out free meals, free medical check ups and taking them to amusement parks all have temporary effects. Hunger will return after finishing the meal. They will eat unhealthy food again once they run out of the vitamins given. Solitude strikes again when they return to their humble house.

Stop Giving Money (on the Street) Campaign

We Waste 1 Billion Rupiah Every Day

Do you realize that we, Jakarta citizens, waste our small change (IDR 500 to 1,000) everyday on street children, on average adding up to a 10 digit amount? Let’s do a quick count. The number of street children in greater Jakarta, based on the latest data from the National Children Committee, reached 30,000 children. Their daily income varies between IDR 50,000 to IDR 150,000 especially in a particular touristy site in North Jakarta. If we take the minimum number of IDR 50,000 times 20,000 children, that means we waste as much as IDR 1 billion in small change every day.

We cause them to stay on the street

The estimation above makes us question something ironic. It is possible that we are the reason these children stay on the street. By busking, begging, cleaning cars at traffic lights, or giving out donation envelopes – one street children in their early age could have the same amount of income as a diploma graduate; it is that easy for them. Without having to attend school, apply for jobs, they make almost the same amount.