T

he humanitarian organization Plan and global insurance company Aviva launched a project with the Social Affairs Ministry on Wednesday aimed at decreasing the number of street children without birth certificates in Jakarta.

The project, named “Catat Setiap Anak” (Count Every Child), consists of an awareness campaign aimed at reaching 3,500 children living or working on the streets, as well as their caregivers or parents. The campaign will increase their knowledge on birth registration procedures. “We’re hoping that 1,500 street children in Jakarta will have birth certificates in the next two years,” said Plan Indonesia country director Peter La Raus on Wednesday.

According to data from the Jakarta Social Affairs Agency, at least 7,315 street children have been identified in the capital and only 9 percent were registered and had birth certificates issued by the Jakarta Vital Statistic and Demography Agency.

Raus added that such children were not able to access basic social services such as education and healthcare.

“A birth certificate can help protect a child against child marriage, child labor or, if accused of a crime, prosecution as an adult,” he said.