Once on the streets, they are forever marked as bad girls who are easily preyed upon by local hoods, says Kirik Erwanto, an NGO volunteer. In July 2000 in Yogyakarta, street children numbered 1,600, of whom about 500 were girls, says Mr. Kirik. Within these last three years, there has been quite a dramatic increase in female street children in Yogyakarta, he says. Many left their homes because they have conflicts with their families, like one of the girls under our care. She refused to marry a man whom her parents had chosen for her.
Many street girls are victims of sexual abuse and child prostitution.
She spent most of her teenage years singing at intersections or selling newspapers in Yogyakarta. She says street life gave her freedom and more than a few problems. Like many street kids, she started taking flu medicine, drinking vodka, and sniffing glue. Glue sniffing is cheap, and I used to enjoy it, she says. She has married her boyfriend who works as a bus conductor and has been accepted back home by her parents.