Message Bans Giving Money to Street Children
Tuesday, 28 April, 2009 | 14:12 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta:The Yogyakarta municipality is calling on people not to give money to beggars and street children. The message written on 16 billboards will be put up on streets where beggars and street children are normally based. “The billboards will tell beggars not to ply the streets,” said Siwi Subektyastuti, Yogyakarta Rehabilitation and Social Services chief yesterday.


According to Siwi, giving money to street children and beggars was not educational. She was optimistic that the billboards will be highly effective in cutting down the number of beggars.


However, Sudarmaji, a street children activist at Klitren Lor, disagreed. “The message would not do much good because what they need are job opportunities and training,” he said. Based on 2007 data, there are 181 street children. “The number may grow in 2009,” Siwi said.


MUH SYAIFULLAH