Comfortable On The Street, Mataram Residents Were Asked Not To Give Money To Street Children

Illustration of street children (ANTARA)

MATARAM - The people of Mataram were asked not to give alms money to street children. It is considered that it can make children feel at home living on the streets comfortably and is not very educational.

The Regional People's Legislative Council (DPRD) for the City of Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, advises road users not to give anything to children on the streets because it can make them feel at home on the road.

"If they continue to give on the street, they will feel at home, because they are given small change and it does not educate," said Deputy Chairperson of Commission IV DPRD Mataram City Nyayu Ernawati quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, March 16.

According to her, if the community wants to contribute something, they can go through official social institutions so that it is more targeted, directed, and educational.

Based on the results of her observations at a number of points, Nyanyu assesses that it seems that these street children are being used by irresponsible "persons" by appealing to the compassion of motorists by selling drinks, tissues, or other items.

"I've even seen mothers bring a large bag of paper towels to be distributed to children to sell. The goal is to make people feel compassion for these children," she said.

According to her, handling street children is quite difficult. Moreover, they already know the working hours of the social task force. When officers were around, they fled through small alleys.

"Therefore, the handling of street children must be carried out by all parties so that Mataram City can become a child-friendly city," she said.

Meanwhile, related to the ratification of Child-Friendly City Regulations (KLA), Nyanyu hopes that the existence of these regional regulations can provide maximum protection for children.

"Our hope is that with this regional regulation, Mataram will truly become a city worthy of our children," she said.

She said protection for children must be evenly distributed, for example, children who are on the street begging for pocket money. In this case, she said, there must be a local government solution. For example, she said, if the reason the child is out on the streets is that the parents are not working, they may be given a job.

"For example, being a cleaner or something else, in order to be able to meet the needs of the family, and with a record of keeping their children from taking to the streets because they can harm themselves and others," she said.