In Reply to: Women with babies begging in Ubud... posted by Freogal on Wednesday, 11. July 2012 at 07:05 Bali Time:
Great articles in the local papers over the last few weeks. Kids from the poorer areas of Bali are "cared" for in the tourist areas in return for them selling friendship bands. They start as young as 4 because they have the cute factor. They have set targets to reach each day before going home. Only 10% goes back to the village the rest is "expenses". Some local people wanted to start up a school program,, 2 days a week for a couple of hours, for them but the bosses (and partents) would come along and take them out of school and put them back to work. The only way these people could help the kids is to pay the 10% to the village then the kids would be signed over so that they could be looked after properly.
The inspectors do catch them from time to time and send them home but they are back within a week.
As long as money is given to them the bosses will continue to do it. The women with babies and young ones are not usually part of this but I am told by some balinese friends that they can get upto 500,000rp a day because we all feel so sorry for them. They are also known to borrow babies and young children to carry around. A worker in the rice fields earns 30,000rp a day and a labourer on the construction sites earns 75,000rp a day so who is the clever ones?
I have started to buy corn or food from the carts for the kids that get down onto the beach as at least I know they get it. Although most want sweet drinks or ice-cream I think sticking to their own food is better - doesn't mean the odd sweet thing doesn't change hands though