The single moms who live in the slums of Bali, Indonesia, often hide while their young children are forced to run up to cars stopped at the traffic lights to beg for money. Children are often begging for over 12 hours a day in brutally hot conditions.
The mothers were brought up in the same way.
It’s a vicious cycle.
These children often get sick, because the lack of proper nutrition. If they’re lucky, sometimes they get a bowl of plain rice after a long working day.
Dewi is four. Her mother was beaten by her father when she refused to take Dewi to the streets to beg.
Dewi and her Mother now live in our Safe house. Her mother is learning to make jewellery.
We need a sponsor for Dewi to help pay for her schooling .
Agus is twelve.
When we first met Agus he was selling bracelets at midnight to tourists in the bars of Kuta. He had a huge smile despite the dark rings under his eyes. Agus started to visit our refuge.
We were concerned that he was very pale and fall ill very quickly. We took him to the hospital where he diagnosed HIV positive.
We moved Agus and his mother into our Safe house and now Agus receives life saving treatment with monthly visits to the hospital.
Kadek begged on the Sunset road for 10 years, supporting his family. Kadek worked six nights a week, running between cars stopped at the traffic lights, knocking on car windows asking for money.
At the age of 12 he told his mother he no longer wanted to beg, and would rather work.
His mother sent him away with a “Boss” who yet again, sent him to work for 12 hours each day, in the hot sun and gave his mother $3 a day in return.
Kadek was locked in a cage at night, when we found him he was suffering malnutrition.
Brave Kadek told the Bali Street Mums Project that he wanted to go to school.
Kadek Dewi has been begging on the streets of Kuta 10 years.
She has been abused by a pedophile from Europe who led her away from the streets to his hotel. Kadek is mow safe in our refuge.
She is receiving help and care from our Volunteer doctor and child psychologist. We need a sponsor for Kadek Dewi to help pay for her schooling and care.
A number of our kids have medical conditions as a result of begging on the streets and having no nutrition and sleep. Also many have suffered sexual and violent abuse on the streets. We provide medical aid and counselling.
Many of the mums and kids live on mud floors in huts, with no sanitation in dangerous slums. We move the mums and kids into clean safe housing.
Children who are begging up to 12 hours a day on the hot streets of Kuta do not get to go to school. Once we rescue the kids from the streets, we enrol them in school providing uniforms, books and school fees.
It is important the mothers earn an income so that they do not take their children back to the streets to beg. We teach the mothers handicrafts. Which are then sold through various shops and markets providing the mums with an income.
We provide a full protein breakfast, fruit, milk and vitamin C supplements to 35 street kids per day.