No Birth Certificate, No Identity, No Chance

by Candice Kitingan

The text of Candice's second article for the Jakarta Globe is reposted below. See the original article here: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/blogs/no-birth-certificate-no-identity-no-chance/505120

Two weekends ago I was out visiting Sahabat Anak (Child's Friend) in Prumpung. Every time I go out to one of our areas — Sahabat Anak has seven local branches — I feel like the streets are full of children and that’s because they are. According to an international independent organization Save the Children, Indonesia has more than 76 million children, the fourth largest child population in the world.

In Jakarta, many of the children Sahabat Anak works with do not have any legal documentation such as a birth certificate, which would recognize them as citizens of Indonesia. A lack of documentation leaves these children in a very vulnerable position.

The UN Convention on The Rights of the Child states the following:

Article 8 (Preservation of Identity): Children have the right to an identity — an official record of who they are. Governments should respect children’s right to a name, a nationality and family ties.

In Indonesia, the process for obtaining a birth certificate is convoluted and costly. Once a child is born, the parents have 60 days to apply for the birth certificate. During this time it is free. If they apply for the certificate after the 60 days they will have to pay a fee of Rp 1,000,000 ($110).

If the parents fail to apply for the birth certificate after one year, they must then go to the District Court. For parents from marginalized backgrounds who cannot read or write and do not understand these procedures, all of this is too complicated, and they frequently fail to register their child’s birth.

If parents do know how to apply for the birth certificate, these are the documents they must have:

Surat Tanda Lahir (Certificate of Recognition of Birth). This is a letter from the hospital stating the child’s date of birth.
The Problem: As it is too expensive to give birth in a hospital, most children in marginalized communities are born at home with the assistance of a local and unofficial midwife.

Parent’s Birth Certificates.
The Problem: Most parents from marginalized communities do not have birth certificates.

Marriage Certificate.
The Problem: Most parents from marginalized communities are not legally married because they cannot afford to pay the registration fee, or they are a single parent.

Kartu Keluarga (Family Card). This is a card that married parents can legally apply for to show that they are a family.
The Problem: As most parents in marginalized communities are not legally married, as stated above, they cannot register as a family because they do not have a marriage certificate.

Some of you might be wondering why it is important to have a birth certificate. For Indonesian children, a birth certificate is needed to fulfill the administrative requirements to enter public school. Previously children could enter school by producing a birth confirmation letter from the local district office. Now schools, especially public schools, require official birth certificates from the Citizen and Public Records Department.

Sahabat Anak has a scholarship program that assists marginalized children in returning to formal schools. Frisca Hutagalung, a volunteer from the Sahabat Anak Grogol branch, helps children with the school registration process. She says, “It has become more difficult for marginalized and street children to enter public schools. Not only must they produce a birth certificate for registration, but the school also requires a family registration card.”

Not only are children unable to access their right to education, but without a birth certificate, they are also unable to apply for a KTP (Identity Card) when they turn 17 years old. This means that they are unable to access government services, apply for a passport or have an identity. And, perhaps most importantly, they cannot vote. These children are second class citizens as they cannot practice the same rights as their fellow citizens who have the financial and educational means. The system continues to keep marginalized communities sidelined and without a voice.

The biggest question we ask ourselves is, “How can we improve a child’s welfare through education if even their existence is not recognized?”

At Sahabat Anak we continue to fight for the rights of marginalized children in Jakarta. Walter Simbolon from the Sahabat Anak head office is working hard to help the children at Sahabat Anak register for birth certificates. Right now he is helping 42 children from Sahabat Anak’s programs obtain their birth certificates. In his experience, it usually takes up to three months to successfully acquire one birth certificate.

The Sahabat Anak movement encourages all members of the community to love and care for marginalized and street children, acknowledging them as human beings. If you would like more information on how you can help, please check our at website www.sahabatanak.com.