The situation is getting worse every day. For long, I have been avidly trying to write about this issue that has turned to a disaster rather than a blessing to our country because of the changes brought by modernity and perhaps, how it is mispractised and mishandled. It is an issue that should be on the drill of urgency to be addressed.
The phenomenon of almajiranci is contemporarily having what the sociologists called 'the latent or unintended consequence of social action'. Meaning: the result of the action is not what is intended. Historically, almajiranci used to be very important, a pure practice and, of course, had greatly influenced and enhanced the Qur'anic memorisation in the north. This can't be denied.
However, the direction of the journey has taken another dimension due to social changes that are continuously taking place. Nowadays, one finds a very young kid pitiably wandering to get leftover as against the cardinal reason which he is sent for. The urchin or the little almajiri is being molested by people, abused by his teachers and disused by his parents. He oftentimes sleeps outside, always moves barefooted in a tattered clothes and spending months without bath thereby becoming vulnerable to various diseases. There are many of these children across the northern states. I flood streams of tears whenever my mind reflects this.
Truly, one may wonder whether this is the only means of learning the memorisation; it is not. What of other children whom we have seen already completed the memorisation without being forcefully sent somewhere to learn by complementing it with begging (bara) in the street? Some parents strongly believe in the legacy of their ancestors and hold it as the only way of being and becoming upright. I am not against learning the Qur'anic memorisation - it is necessary - however, I am vehemently against subjecting these innocent kids to unnecessary suffering which invites disasters through the back door.
While some parents send their children purposely to learn, majority if not all, send them because they think that's a way of reforming a child who has become rascal. Again, another category does that because they feel scared of catering for the young children.
It is worth-sharing, an experience with some children whom I met somewhere in one of the North-Western cities. I was surprised how they came from another state for learning Qur'anic memorisation; their parents supply everything to them including food, clothes etc. Nobody will understand they are strangers let alone be called almajirai. They send money to them regularly. And these children are all going to western-oriented school simultaneously. I wish the tradition will be like that.
There is no doubt that governments in the north are less concerned with this phenomenon. Some have attempted to address the situation but politics took over. I am therefore, calling on them in a clarion voice of patriotism to come with appropriate policies and measures that will regulate almajiranci in the north. Parents must be enlightened and, of course, be sanctioned for inappropriate treatments of their children. Associations and and divergent organisations should also come up with iron feasts to mitigate the level of this issue through various programmes.
Written by Abdul Mutallib Muktar
The phenomenon of almajiranci is contemporarily having what the sociologists called 'the latent or unintended consequence of social action'. Meaning: the result of the action is not what is intended. Historically, almajiranci used to be very important, a pure practice and, of course, had greatly influenced and enhanced the Qur'anic memorisation in the north. This can't be denied.
However, the direction of the journey has taken another dimension due to social changes that are continuously taking place. Nowadays, one finds a very young kid pitiably wandering to get leftover as against the cardinal reason which he is sent for. The urchin or the little almajiri is being molested by people, abused by his teachers and disused by his parents. He oftentimes sleeps outside, always moves barefooted in a tattered clothes and spending months without bath thereby becoming vulnerable to various diseases. There are many of these children across the northern states. I flood streams of tears whenever my mind reflects this.
Truly, one may wonder whether this is the only means of learning the memorisation; it is not. What of other children whom we have seen already completed the memorisation without being forcefully sent somewhere to learn by complementing it with begging (bara) in the street? Some parents strongly believe in the legacy of their ancestors and hold it as the only way of being and becoming upright. I am not against learning the Qur'anic memorisation - it is necessary - however, I am vehemently against subjecting these innocent kids to unnecessary suffering which invites disasters through the back door.
While some parents send their children purposely to learn, majority if not all, send them because they think that's a way of reforming a child who has become rascal. Again, another category does that because they feel scared of catering for the young children.
It is worth-sharing, an experience with some children whom I met somewhere in one of the North-Western cities. I was surprised how they came from another state for learning Qur'anic memorisation; their parents supply everything to them including food, clothes etc. Nobody will understand they are strangers let alone be called almajirai. They send money to them regularly. And these children are all going to western-oriented school simultaneously. I wish the tradition will be like that.
There is no doubt that governments in the north are less concerned with this phenomenon. Some have attempted to address the situation but politics took over. I am therefore, calling on them in a clarion voice of patriotism to come with appropriate policies and measures that will regulate almajiranci in the north. Parents must be enlightened and, of course, be sanctioned for inappropriate treatments of their children. Associations and and divergent organisations should also come up with iron feasts to mitigate the level of this issue through various programmes.
Written by Abdul Mutallib Muktar
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