Advocacy

Sahabat Anak has come to realise that fulfilling children’s rights is a major task that cannot be done alone. Therefore, Sahabat Anak needs to involve the whole community to join with us and campaign for the rights of children.  This will enable the Sahabat Anak Movement to achieve it’s goal which is to help Indonesian children, especially marginalised children, access their rights. This is the spirit of the Sahabat Anak Movement.

As a result of this, on the 17th of February 2008, the first Sahabat Anak Day was held.  The day involved 1,500 participants consisting of children from Sahabat Anak and partner organisations, employees and their families from corporations supporting the event and individual members of the public living in Jakarta. The event was held at Kridaloka Senayan which was transformed into an amusement park and stage for performances.  The day started off with the ‘Walk of Love’ across senayan. During the day all the participants developed FRIENDSHIPS with the children from Sahabat Anak.

During the event event the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Fauzi Bowo, gave an opening speech and read the Sahabat Anak Declaration.
“The Sahabat Anak (SA) Movement believes that each child is a precious and worthy being that is equal to all human beings.

The SA Movement appreciates, respects and fights for children’s basic rights. Which includes; to live, to grow, and to be protected while also participating in civil society.

In English Sahabat Anak means a child’s friend. As our name suggests it is through our friendship with children that we fight for their basic rights. We invest our time, energy and resources into helping children access their right to education and a life free of poverty, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or social class.”

Since then, each year on the same date, Sahabat Anak Day is held as the kick off  for Sahabat Anak’s  yearly children’s rights campaign. We invite members of the public, NGOs, local and national government, companies and the media to join with us and care for those who will be the next generation. We believe caring for the marginalised children in Jakarta is a community investing in the Nation’s future.

For a better Indonesia.