In Search of Knowledge: Parents Abandon Wards in an unusual Adventure across Northern Nigeria.

Aliyu Abba, 12. PC: Adama Abubakar

By: Adama Abubakar

It was a breezy Sunday morning in Kano when I left for Borno, Nigeria. I was very excited because I had been wanting to visit Maiduguri for a long time. But the smile on my face and the amount of happiness I felt were cut short when I engaged in a strange interaction with the boys I came across, who appeared to be unlike many I had met in my life. 

The boys sitting next to me had a mix of innocence and curiosity in their eyes, and I was curious to know who they were, so I asked if they were with their parents or guardians, given their ages, which could be between 7 and 11 years old, and they answered 'NO', letting me know that they are all by themselves. I could not speak, so I remained silent and began to ponder. 

I remembered that earlier, as our bus was about to leave the park, an elderly man, probably in his 50s, approached our bus and gave some advice to the young children; from the advice given to them, I learned that they are almajiri traveling to Borno to further their Islamic knowledge.

Almajiri is of Arabic origin and is derived from the root word Almuhajir, which means someone who leaves his home town in search of Islamic knowledge. It was a term used during the holy migration to Medina. 

A large percentage of such children in Nigeria are between the ages of 15 and 19. According to a recent study, 83.49% of almajiri are between the ages of 5 and 15, with 33% falling into the 5 to 9 age range. 

The silence was strange, so I started asking them questions. The 11-year-old, who appears more mature than the younger one, was the one who answered my questions. 

"My name is Abubakar, and I am from Katsina. My father sent me here to seek knowledge in Kano, but they decided that I should go to Borno for advanced studies in the Tsangaya." (Tsangaya is a school where Almajiri lives.) 

Abubakar explained why his father sent him to seek knowledge at his age. 

"We have a large family, and my father is struggling to support all of us after our mother died. We used to farm in Katsina, but sometimes we sleep on an empty stomach," he explained.

"Even here in Kano, we do not always get enough food to eat; I am just hoping we will have enough in Borno, especially where they said we would be staying, Dala." Speaking with a gloomy expression on his face. 

Many children left home

The two small boys are not the only children who left home at a young age. Aliyu Abba, 12, described how his mother, who wanted to remarry, sent him to Borno from Bauchi. 

"I am wishing to see my mom and  younger brother who  was about 3 year old when I left Bauchi and now its getting to 5 years since I left. Things are not easy for us here; I go out every day to beg for food and pick charcoals from people's trash cans to warm the little food I get.

Another is Ahmad, 10, who explained how they are sometimes peered with elders to go for begging.

"Sometimes we are divided and given to an elderly man who begs on the street so that we can help them walk long distances on the streets and be paid 100 to 150 naira for our efforts in the scorching heat of Borno. It is not always our choice to beg, but when we do not have another option, our Malam (teacher) will remind us that it is better to beg than steal." Ahmad explained. 

Ahmad, on the other hand, aspires to be a pilot; however, given Nigeria's almajiri system, will this dream come true?

The almajiri system has produced positive results in the past. However, in today's society, it is a system that has resulted in the rise of out-of-school children, particularly in this region of the world. According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), there are 14 million out-of-school children worldwide, with Nigeria having the lion's share.

Working extra…

Almajiri are subjected to severe forms of exploitation by the Malams, who are supposed to guard them but are unable to do so due to economic hardship and a lack of support from the children's parents, forcing the children to do domestic work, beg, and bring back returns for the Malams. 

"We go around the streets every day in search of menial jobs; we empty people's dustbins, wash plates, sweep people's compounds, and do other tasks; some give us money (50-100 naira), while others give us leftover food." Ahmad said.

Owners of some tsangaya schools impose a levy on the children known as kudin sati (weekly due) to support the system, which has fueled the act of begging among the children.

Malam Abdullahi, a tsangaya teacher near Monday market, explained that the weekly fee is for the children's upkeep, as there may be emergency situations that require money.

Call for action. 

The government should take appropriate steps to address this issue, including developing new policies and implementing existing ones. According to reports, 157 special schools were built in Northern Nigeria in 2010, with approximately 15 billion spent on structures and equipment to enroll almajiri children in Western education. Unfortunately, these structures are currently being used for other purposes or as wastelands. Parents, on the other hand, should begin to take responsibility for their children by either supporting the Malams who are looking after them or leaving them at home.