Isa was 6 years old when his father placed him in a bus headed to the city. The father paid
the bus fare to the driver with instructions to drop him upon arrival at the city, with any
group of Almajiris that the driver sees. He waved to Isa, who fought back the tears, as the
bus rolled away from the village. His heart was pounding in his chest and his mouth was
suddenly very dry, as he stared out of the window, terrified about what was to come in the
strange city of Maiduguri. He had never left home and had never been alone by himself…not
even for one hour, in the entirety of his life thus far. He had nothing but the clothes on him
and the masa that his mother had wrapped and given to him. Tears rolled down his face, as
he recalled his mother, trying to encourage him the previous night, while she fought back
her own tears, as she told him that he would go on to learn and become a great Islamic
scholar and she will be proud of him. But he has to be brave, she had said. He was not
feeling particularly brave, as he shuddered in the cold harmattan breeze.
Isa’s mother was also left crying in the corner but she didn’t want to appear like she didn’t
have strong iman (faith) or to be complaining. Afterall, he was going to learn the Quran. But
then, other children of rich people in the village were also learning the Quran but they were
going to the Mallam’s house and returning home daily. Infact, the Local Government
Chairman employed a Mallam to come to his house and teach his children in their own
home. Why does she have to lose her son to uncertainty in the city? She concluded that it
was because of their poverty, as Isa’s father only earned N25,000 a month and she was not
earning an income as he married her immediately after primary school. She had no training
or skills, and he has said he didn’t want his wife to work. They already had 5 children and
she had been hearing whispers that Isa’s father was planning to marry a second wife. She
hoped and prayed it was not true but what can she do? She sighed, in a resigned manner.
Discussion
In the preceding two weeks, we had focused generally on the nexus between a stable or
dysfunctional family life and societal wellbeing. This week, we focus specifically on the plight
of the Almajiri children and the impact on family and society at large in northern Nigeria. It
is heart-warming that some northern state governors and the Emir of Kano are speaking
against this practice now. But what is the way forward?
First, we need to understand the drivers of these practices. While it is often couched as
religious, the reality is that poverty and ignorance is the most potent driver. For instance,
Isa’s father on a salary of N25,000 marries two wives and has 15 children hypothetically.
Obviously, he is unlikely to be able to cater for them. Thus, escape routes available include
sending off the male children as Almajiris – purportedly to learn the Quran, but in reality, to
fend for themselves very far away from home and usually at such an early age that they may
not even remember the way home again. And for the female children, marry them off early,
again purportedly for fear of promiscuity. But in reality, the desired result of these actions is
to achieve a net reduction in the number of mouths to feed in the home. Thus, relieving him
of their financial responsibility. And the final clincher that establishes this economic angle, is that even in the same
environment, those who are well to do, or at least have food in their homes, do not send
their children out to beg for food and become street children as Almajiris, under the guise of
Islamic education. And this phenomenon is purely seen only in northern Nigeria and some
parts of West Africa (minimally), but is unheard of, in the rest of the global muslim world.
The second driver is the family instability and the high rate of divorce and remarriages that
is now common place. The children are sometimes left in limbo and are more or less
abandoned, as the mother remarries and the children are sent away by the father to live
with aged grandparents. They often end up, ultimately, on the streets after the death of
these elderly grandparents.
Conclusion:
Education must be compulsory, and all community leaders, religious leaders and state
governments need to work in tandem to educate the populace, empower the masses, and
change minds gradually over time. We need a rallying motto such as ‘no child left behind’ or
something along such lines. It calls for long term strategic planning and investment. The
conversations are only just starting.
Dr Jibril Abdulmalik
Tribune Article for the column “Your Mental Health & You”
Thursday, 2nd May 2024
Asido Foundation
www.asidofoundation.com
Asivuri Consulting
www.asivuri.com
