Savings Accounts to be given to 8,000 Jakarta Street Children

The Social Affairs Ministry is planning to give savings accounts to 8000 street children in Jakarta. “We have finished distributing them for 3500 kids this month,” said Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri after a meeting at the Vice President’s Office onThursday, April 7, 2011.

According to Salim, the government will finish distributing the remaining 4.500 in the next eight months.

As part of the Free Street Children program, the government will distribute saving accounts of Rp1.4 million each to every street child, amounting to around 230.000 persons. The target is no more street kids by 2014. The initial stage of the program will be conducted in Jakarta, where around 8000 street children are found.

Salim said that the savings account will be held by their parents or the boarding homes. He warned that if the parents asked them to return to the street, the government will revoke the account. “The parents will think twice before doing it, because the amount is quite big,” he said.