Street children: They too have dreams
KUALA LUMPUR: Twelve-yearold Dhani Ahmad (not his real name) dreams of establishing his own art gallery in the heart of the federal capital.
The Kuala Lumpur-born boy, who has developed an interest in visual arts since the age of six, sets forth his dream by drawing inspiration from famous artists in the country, including influencers who showcase their artistic talents on social media.
However, looking at the lives of Dhani and his peers, who spend much of their time on the streets, making areas like Chow Kit, Lorong Haji Taib and Kampung Baru their playground until the wee hours, begs the question: Can their dreams materialised without a helping hand?
“My family cannot afford to send me to art classes, so I learn drawing techniques on TikTok and YouTube. I am usually interested in creating portraits, landscapes and abstract paintings.
“I am also interested in oil painting methods and mural arts and have participated in several mural projects in Kuala Lumpur and beyond,” Dhani told Bernama.
A situation like Dhani’s is not uncommon for children around Chow Kit, where poverty forces them into cramped and uncomfortable living conditions.
According to the fourth of five siblings, although the life he leads is often associated with the dark side of society, he sees it as a source of inspiration to delve deeper into art to free himself from the streets through his artwork.
“Even though the price of a sketchpad is less than RM30, my father cannot always afford it. I have also tried to earn extra money by painting in Bukit Bintang, but I cannot do it often because of the lack of painting materials, and I have a younger sibling to care for.
“I hope to leave this gloomy neighbourhood and become a renowned artist someday. Together with my friends in Chow Kit, I have witnessed firsthand the various threats here, often labelled as black areas,” he said, adding that he and his siblings are staying in a room rented by his father in Kampung Baru.
Dhani, a student at Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) in Chow Kit, walks about eight kilometres from the rented room to his ‘playground’ every day, where he spends time with fellow underprivileged children while waiting for food aid and engaging in activities such as playing football, cycling and more, from 4pm to 2am or 3am.
The cramped living conditions experienced by this boy are a shared reality for the majority of children in the area, whose parents can only afford to rent a small room of around 3.04 x 3.04 square metres in size, which needs to be shared with siblings, while some are forced into homelessness.
“Of course, we are scared to hang out until early morning because we have had to flee for our lives from potential kidnappings. It has happened more than once, but we still come back here because we have no other choice,” said Arif Aiman, 12, a good friend of Dhani.
Although he is happy with his life, Arif Aiman dreams of leading a better life in the future.
“I want to become a policeman. I want to fight crime in this neighbourhood,” said the fifth child of 10 siblings, who lives with his father and stepmother in Lorong Haji Taib.
Never-ending cycle
Pertubuhan Jejak Jalanan founder and chief activist Azhan Adnan said the never-ending poverty polemics, among others caused by the low awareness among parents of the importance of education, lack of spiritual and religious values as well as identity documents, are major obstacles hindering them from leaving the area.
Azhan, better known as ‘Abbe’, has been there almost every night for over two years since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. His bond with the residents is particularly evident, especially with the children, who affectionately call him ‘abah’ (father).
By accompanying them, he could see with his own eyes how difficult it is for the residents to get out of the dark environment, often associated with various social problems that could get worse without prompt and proactive intervention.
“Based on the data collected, more than 70 street children are currently in the area. However, the actual number is probably higher because street children are increasing over time, whether born to residents here or migrated from other states.
“As we know, some of them have citizenship documents, and some do not, and they attend school either at governmentowned SBJK institutions or those run by NGOs. But the question remains: what happens to them after finishing school? This is not given proper attention, which is why most of these children drop out of school,” he said.
Living in poverty with such low daily wages, they are compelled to rely on food aid or kitchen supplies, forcing them to prioritise providing for their families over their children’s education.
When asked about the future of these children when they grow up, Azhan said that not only will they continue to live there, but they will also inherit the poverty and lifestyle of their parents.
“These children do not see the outside world because they are ‘trapped’ here. If the government does not intervene, this situation may worsen and be inherited from one generation to another.
“The time has come for the fate of the street children to be given serious attention, especially since the Madani government has pledged to tackle the issue of school dropouts. Only education can change them,” he said.
Capable of greater things
To outsiders observing the lives of children around Chow Kit, it may seem plausible that some would believe this community lacks a promising and vibrant future, with no clear direction or even any potential for success.
The reality, however, is that these children are not only well disciplined but also intelligent and some have even been accepted into institutions of higher learning, thus proving that this community is also capable of soaring higher.
“These children are very disciplined. For example, when they sing the Negaraku, they stand up straight in an orderly manner, and they are also polite when communicating.
All this while, they only saw other children going to school and they didn’t have a chance,” said SBJK Chow Kit principal Zamzuri Abdullah.
Zamzuri, who has been overseeing the school for the past five months, challenges preconceived notions about the children in Chow Kit.
He describes upon firsthand interaction the resilient spirit among these children, with many showing dedication to change and nurturing their dreams.
This is shown by the significant increase in parents who send their children to the school compared to when it was established 10 years ago, thus proving their commitment to ensuring that these children do not inherit the shackles of poverty, he highlighted.
Nevertheless, while the government’s commendable initiative of establishing SBJK in the Chow Kit community aims to prevent school dropouts, it is also crucial to assist these children obtain identification documents, a task their parents failed to do at their birth.
“Parents used to worry about having to pay fees, and some worried that their children might be taken away and handed over to someone else (if they had no citizenship documents), but it’s not the case anymore. The challenge now is to obtain identity documents.
“If this aspect is not addressed, these excellent students would be unable to go anywhere. For example, to university, or secure a job to escape this bleak life,” he emphasised.
He added that SBJK has a total of 152 pupils and students aged four to 19, the majority of whom do not have identity documents, are orphaned, homeless, or facing social issues.
It is essential to address this situation, especially since there were former outstanding students who faced challenges in applying for public university admissions online because they lacked identification documents.
In one case, SBJK and the Ministry of Education took the initiative to meet with the university and submitted the student’s potential and exam results to facilitate a special admission application process.
“Alhamdulillah, the student was finally accepted and is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree. We are also in the process of applying for an identity document from the National Registration Department,” he explained.
This is one individual who was lucky enough to get help – but what of the countless others who are overlooked and become victims of circumstances?
The failure of parents to register the birth of these children stems from various factors, such as a lack of knowledge about registration procedures, indifference towards its importance, and fear of potential fines and arrest by the authorities.
Zamzuri’s major concern is that if the children drop out due to not having identity documents they will fall into more dire circumstances as the neighbourhood is a hotbed for crime and social issues.
“They may be manipulated by anyone. For example, gangsters can get students involved in robbing, killing, and even becoming drug dealers.
“...Or they could be oppressed by employers and not paid fair wages due to the lack of
Based on the data collected, more than 70 street children are currently in the area. However, the actual number is probably higher because street children are increasing over time, whether born to residents here or migrated from other states.
Azhar Adnan
identification documents. But how would they file a complaint? Such a manipulated situation will certainly put pressure on them and make them more likely to go down a darker path,” he said.
Parents interviewed by Bernama also expressed their worry about the environment and stressed their desire to see the children escape that life and enrol in any boarding school, even though they recognise the challenges of achieving such a dream.
“The cooperation of all parties is crucial to assist them in obtaining identification documents because that is the barrier preventing them from reaching up for greater opportunities. Without proper documentation, how are they to secure a livelihood?
“They can’t even open an account. Without help, they may return to their initial circumstances (in dark alleys and with no hope of ending inherited poverty,” said Zamzuri. — Bernama