Empowerment of Street Children Through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Makassar City

Abstract

The phenomenon of street children in large Indonesian cities is commonly understood as a poverty problem identical with begging and vagrancy, although some of them have diversified their economic activities through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This study aims to describe the reasons street children persist in working on the street and to analyse the empowerment efforts that can be undertaken for them through MSMEs. The study applies a qualitative approach using a grounded theory strategy. The research sites are the intersections of Veteran Street, Bandang Street, and Masjid Raya Street in Makassar City. Six informants were determined through purposive sampling, namely street children who have run MSMEs for at least three years and previously worked as beggars. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, and documentation, and were analysed through data reduction, categorisation, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal two main results. First, the informants remain on the street because they have been accustomed since childhood to accompanying their parents selling at intersections, perceive the street as a familiar play space, and earn income that supports family needs and school expenses, allowing them to continue schooling like their peers. Second, their activities are sustained by social capital in the form of relationships and appropriate conduct towards buyers, and cultural capital in the form of internalised community norms and trading skills, both of which are converted into economic capital. The study concludes that empowering street children should focus on strengthening these three forms of capital in an integrated manner by involving families, the social environment, and policy makers, rather than on public order enforcement alone.