A Blog of Rural Empowerment Initiative...or REI
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Friday, May 16, 2008
The forgotten sons of Senegal
this is a report from someone in Senegal...that work with the talibe
In Senegal, boys from 5 to 18 years of age are sent to live with a Koranic teacher, who teaches them to read Arabic script and memorize the Koran, the Muslim holy book. A good student with a good teacher should be able to recite the entire Koran at the age of 15. The teachers are supported by the donations that the boys are given as they beg on the street. There are many of these Koranic schools, called daaras, in the city of Dakar. This brings the problem of a huge lack of accountability for the teachers who have been entrusted with the boys, because they are often quite far from the boy's families. The system is often abused in that many boys end up doing nothing but begging for money for their teacher', who may not actually teach them anything. Often there are no provision for the boy's food, clothing or medical care.
We are seeing many boys with various problems every week. We have been able to help provide these boys with breakfast food, medical and dental care. This has been an exciting open door, and we are so thankful that God has built the trust relationships that we currently have with these boys and their teachers. There are now five Koranic teachers who send their sick or injured students to us for help! Please continue to pray for support of this strategic mercy ministry.
-Tad and Jane, Senegal
if you would like to find out more about this ministry or help with donations...please contact me at uwmwestafrica@yahoo.com
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Very touching story. The problems of Koranic schools and their pupils are not peculiar to Senegal. Similar scenarios are being played out daily on the streets of cities in Northern Nigeria. The major challenge these children face is that of welfare, that's why the work you are doing in Senegal is commendable. However, in order to provide a solid future for them, their education is another issue of major concern. Koranic schools, of the type you described, are often not linked to or recognised by the formal school set-up. Their curricula are exclusively religious, but even at that, very little time is spent on the learning itself because of the begging phenomenon. There is a project currently going on in Nigeria, supported by Government and UNICEF, of reforming these schools and linking them with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme to provide an opportunity for these children to acquire the basic skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for contemporary living. You may look into the possibility of becoming involved.
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