Bleak future for street children living dark life

Govt aid for documentation, proper education only escape route out of Chow Kit ‘black area’: Activist

KUALA LUMPUR: Twelve-year-old 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 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 talent 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 materialise without a helping hand?

“My family cannot afford art classes for me, so I learn techniques on TikTok and YouTube. I am interested in creating portraits, landscapes and abstract paintings. I am also interested in oil painting methods and mural art and have participated in several mural projects in Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere,” said the fourth child of five siblings.

“Although the price of a sketchpad is less than RM30, my father cannot always afford it.

I have 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. My friends in Chow Kit and I have witnessed firsthand the various threats here, often labelled as a black area,” he said, adding that he and his siblings were staying in a room rented by his father in Kampung Baru.

Dhani, a student at Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih in Chow Kit, walks about 8km 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 and cycling from 4pm to 3am.

Dhani’s friend Arif Aiman, 12, also 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.

Meanwhile, founder and chief activist of Pertubuhan Jejak Jalanan Azhan Adnan said the never-ending poverty polemics caused by low awareness among parents on the importance of education, lack of spiritual and religious values as well as identity documents, are major obstacles hindering them from leaving the area, Bernama reported.

Azhan has been there almost every night for over two years since the end of the Covid pandemic. His bond with the residents is evident, especially with the children, who affectionately call him “abah” (father).

By interacting with them, he could see how difficult it is for the residents to get out of the dark environment, that is plagued by various social problems that could get worse without prompt and proactive intervention.

“More than 70 street children are currently in the area. However, the actual number is probably higher because street children are increasing, whether born to residents or moved here from other states.

“Some of them have citizenship documents and some do not. They attend school, either at government-owned 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.

“The time has come for the fate of these street children to be given serious attention, especially since the Madani government has pledged to address the issue of school dropouts. Only education can change them.”