10 ways to help Street Children stay in School.

It is difficult to address the underlying causes where children from marginalized communities drop out of school. Below are 10 solutions to help keep children in school and off the street.

1. Please, dont give money to Street Children.  A child beggar can earn up to 200.000 Rupiah a day on the street. Just don't do it!

2. You can't learn if your hungry. ISCO provides our children with Health and Nutrition at our Pre-School  and Education Centres.

3.   You can't go to school without a School Uniform. ISCO sponsored children are provided with a School Uniform. Last year Starbucks Indonesia donated up to 1000 School Uniforms to ISCO as part of its Drop Of Hope Campaign.

4. ...or without Textbooks. Textbooks are free and provided by the government. Sometimes these textbooks are on-sold by the school for profit. Advocacy by ISCO Foundation has ensured that our children have free access to these textbooks now and into the future.

5. Make sure they do their homework! ISCO provides our children with Education and Acitivity Centres where they have access to tutors and volunteers.  These spaces are essential to help our children learn.

6. Ensure parents understand the importance of education.  Without a ‘pushy  mother', or encouraging father, children are less likely to prioritise school. The biggest challenge for ISCO parents is chasing after their children to get them to go to school. 

7. Have a hobby! Unfortunately many of ISCO children live on or below the poverty line and cannot afford expensive toys, weekly outings or sport.  ISCO regularly rewards diligent students who have 100% attendance at school with presents, outings to the movies, theme parks and the occassional Futsal Tournament!

8.  Make School Exciting- There is too much focus on numeracy & literacy in Indonesia and not enough emphasis on arts, music, drama, and sport. 

9. Provide access to the latest technology. If you dont have access to the internet or computers how can you expect a child to keep in touch with their peers who have all the latest gadgets. ISCO is purchasing a number of laptops to ensure our children can participate in class and complete online homework. 

10. Ensure opportunities for employment and higher education. This year, ISCO assisted 16 graduate students to apply for university. By creating a recognisable pathway to a better life, ISCO children are more motivated to stay in school. ISCO also holds an annual employment event that connects businesses with ISCO sponsored children.