
Goal : Prevention of vulnerable children working on the street in two villages in Yogyakarta using a Developmental-Interaction program.
Objective:
- To create a safe and comfortable space playground for children.
- To build capacities of children through art and sport.
- To increase the role of parents to interact with children.
Children are the most vulnerable in the poor family. Most of the street children do not happen because of their will. In certain situations, poverty is hereditary. Improving the quality of children’s life is one of the keys to prevent children from working on the streets. It is also the only way to cut the poverty circle in the family. Harapan Fian believes that interaction is the main way to build a better children’s character. The interaction can succeed with providing a playground, increasing children’s self capacity and increasing the role of family for the children.
Based on the Social Department of Yogyakarta’s data in 2019, there are around 10.000 vulnerable children in Yogyakarta. Some of them end up working and living on the streets. There are two villages (slum areas) that contribute to the number of street children in Yogyakarta. They are Badran and Pingit’s Village, around 1 kilometres from the heart of the city where a lot of children work on the streets. Most of the people working in the street situation such as street vendors, street musicians, pedicap’s driver, beggars etc. The situation creates high opportunities for children to go to the street for work and be involved with violence in the streets. There are no comprehensive programs from the government and other civil organizations to prevent children from working and living on the street. This is a situation that urges immediate action.
Harapan Fian has been building interaction with the street children since 2013. We have 3 experienced community organizers who will manage the prevention programs. In general there are 3 main programs, creating a playground, interaction session through art, and sport and parent’s meeting.
Play time is an important thing for children. Unfortunately, there is no proper place for children to play in the slum areas. Even if there is a place, it is usually a dangerous place for children. Building a safe and comfortable place as a playground is urgently needed for children who live in slum areas. Playing time will increase the interaction skill, solving problems, and giving happiness memories of childhood.
Our prevention program is not only playing with children. We want to build children’s capacity. We choose art and sport because it is well accepted by children. We also want to create an activity that does not conduct at school. Art and sport give creative ways to learn, not only knowledge but also character. Take care of yourself, friends and keep the environment is our values.
We involve parents in this prevention program. Although most of them work on the streets. We want to create an awareness that the street is not a good environment for children. We will create parent’s forum that gathers once a month. In the forums, we will increase their parenting capacities.
Further information, please look: https://harapanfian.org/our-programs/