In Reply to: About the "street kids" posted by Hillary on Monday, 2. August 2010 at 12:51 Bali Time:
There are three types of 'beggars' in Bali. There is no begging mafia as in Thailand where the beggars are owned. The most common beggars seen in Bali are in tourist areas, and are young mothers with babies and/or pre pubity boys and girls. Usually they huddle in groups at night near major road intersections. All are of a peculiar sect, their village across the Lake Batur, Kintamani, their lot in life is to beg [vaguely similar to the 'unclean' in India's hindu world].
Back when the 'policing' of Bali's banjars was controlled by the army these beggars were routinely taken back to their village in big trucks in the days leading up to major tourist times [Christmas NY, Easter, August, Idul Fitri] reckoning that it would take them at least one month to walk back to the south. That does not happen any more so they are around year long.
The other beggars seen in the tourist areas are the cripples, there is no social welfare in Indonesia. You can be almost sure that they are not Balinese as if they were then they would be kept in their own village and fed, etc. There are many non-Balinese Inodnesians living in Bali, usually in groups in certain banjars.
In Denpasar and at major street intersections there are another group, usually young males with limited problems of withered limbs, etc., who attempt to 'busk' either singly badly and/or accompanying themselves by bouncing small empty aqua bottles on their arms, etc.
All the beggars are raising money just to exist.