The Jakarta Globe:

Frequently at Sahabat Anak (Child’s Friend), people ask us, “Who is a street child?”

A street child lives a complex life and as someone once remarked to me, “I am surprised to see street children own mobile phones!” Yes, it is true that many of Jakarta’s street children can afford mobile phones, although they are certainly not the expensive type.

Indonesia has a rapidly booming economy and each day millions of rupiah are floating around on the streets of Jakarta feeding the informal economy. This is an economy where individuals sell anything from nasi goreng (fried rice) to mops to mattresses. These sellers do not have a shop front, they do not have bank accounts and they only accept cash. Read more