Community Participation in the Alleviating Program of Street Children in Semarang City

Abstract

Semarang city is the capital city of Central Java province that became the fifth largest city in Indonesia. Because of the progress the city is then not a few people who come to the city to seek their fortunes. According to source from news.okezone.com state that the community who came to Semarang mostly from Demak Regency, Kendal Regency, and Semarang Sub-District. The community comes to Semarang city one of which is the existence of street children. Street children are children who are most the time they use to the streets or other public places are good for a living or hang around. The majority of street children in the city of Semarang have been experiencing dropouts, caused by the limitations of the cost be a factor driving the street children take to the streets, and also the poverty factor that resulted in all members of the family are falls and street to meet the necessities of life. The results of the research conducted in the field researchers indicates that public participation Semarang against street children is immense, as seen from research done to road users in the area of the city of Semarang, the majority of road users are reluctant to give money to beggars or street children. The Act is done because road users recognize that the activities of street children conducted in the street not become the responsibility of road users and not because of the desire of the individual itself. Other forms of participation that is often done with road users give money or buy merchandise sold street children due to a sense of sympathy and pity towards the existence of street children in the city of Semarang. Factors that encourage community participation includes: a) the availability of Regulations; b) cooperation with the private City Government; c) adequate human resources; d) facilities and infrastructure; and e) budget. While becoming a barrier to participation in the efforts for the people of alleviating street children are: a) the existence of Urbanization; b) high rates of Poverty; c) conditions and social change.