Eradicating forced child begging in Senegal

Up to 100,000 children in residential Quranic schools (daaras) in Senegal are forced to beg on the streets for around 5 hours each day; and many suffer mistreatment or neglect from their Quranic masters (marabouts). Most residential daaras do not charge students (talibés) for food, accommodation or studies (almost exclusively rote learning of the Quran), but instead send the children out to beg for the marabouts. Far from their families and living in squalid, unsanitary conditions, talibés are materially and emotionally impoverished, vulnerable to disease and poor nutrition; and subject to physical or psychological abuse if they fail to meet their begging 'quotas'. Talibés leave the daaras poorly educated and socially ill-equipped for future life. Those fleeing mistreatment often end up living on the streets. The daara system is an accepted facet of Senegalese society, which still largely fails to appreciate the depth and prevalence of the violence, coercion and poor living conditions commonly experienced by residential talibés. A State regulated and assisted modern daara programme is the only viable long-term solution to forced child begging and associated mistreatment of talibés. But to achieve it, all parties need to actively embrace change rather than merely accept the principle. The case for reform is all but won; and yet the reform momentum is still being driven by actors outside of the main stakeholders. Meanwhile, there is an imperative to respond to the immediate needs of those talibés currently suffering in slavery-like conditions. The project addresses these needs whilst also reinforcing and progressing the longer-term processes; by integrally linking the direct service provision with advocacy action at both local and national levels, thereby contributing to the pressure for reform, and by setting community support to daaras in a context requiring corresponding action by marabouts on the rights and welfare of the children in their care. The promotion of open and constructive dialogue between communities and marabouts is central to this approach.