"I praise the commitment of the Surabaya City Government that continues to offer protection to children and women by providing child shelters," Puspayoga noted in a statement received here, Friday.
The Surabaya City Government has two child shelters managed by Surabaya Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB) Service: shelters for children in conflict with the law (ABH) and shelters for girls as victims of violence.
The boys' shelter is used as a temporary shelter while they await legal certainty while the girls' shelter is used as a place for physical and psychological rehabilitation. Puspayoga said that the city government had taken the right step by providing these two shelters.
At these two places, the children are accompanied by competent assistants and are involved in various positive activities, such as religious worship, school-related tasks, skills, cleaning schedules, sports, and national insight.
Currently, the city government accommodates six ABH children, with a background in cases of brawls and pigeon gambling at the boys' shelter and eight female victims with backgrounds in cases of violence, sexual harassment, and exploitation at the girls' shelter. There are 18 assistants with nine people assigned to each location.
Apart from supervising the girls, assistants at the girls' shelter also help to pick up and drop off the girls to schools.
Girls at the shelter also had the opportunity to continue their education with four children attending the high school level, two children attending the junior high school level, and one child attending the elementary level.
Minister Puspayoga handed over specific assistance for the children. She noted that children at the two shelters had rights that should be fulfilled and protected.
"These children have the same rights and opportunities to achieve their dreams like other children out there. (This is) especially for ABH, who are awaiting legal certainty, and being in this child shelter can shape character and foster positive values before being transferred to a special children's prison according to the verdict," she remarked.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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