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THE BEGGAR 'TALIBES' IN DAKAR (SENEGAL)

The Kids in the pictures are called Talibes or beggar children in Senegal

They are generally thin hungry boys of 5 to 15 years usually entrusted by poor parents with ‘marabouts' in charge of their Koranic education.They are called ‘taalibe' in Senegal. The word ‘Taalibe' comes from Arabic ‘Talib' which qualifies learning and asking people. Identified by their bare feet, their dirty clothes usually in rags and their empty tomato pots which serve as containers to keep the begged food, ‘Taalibes' don’t attend regular style modern school. The whole of their education is based on both Koran learning and begging in the streets. They live in what is called ‘Daaras' (koranic schools) where ‘Marabouts' initiate them into community life. Idle, they come mostly from arid areas. ‘Among them Mauritanian refugees, Senegalese repatriated but also nationals from close countries pushed to exodus by drought' according to Saliou Sarr, trainer at Ecole Normale (Teachers Training School) in Thies, Senegal. But, how do ‘Taalibes' live?

THE ‘TALIBES' BOYS LIVING CONDITIONS
They live in horrible conditions. Some of them are boarded in ‘Daaras' which are often dilapidated or unfinished houses or animal sheds without roof given to ‘Marabouts' by people whose aim is to contribute to the ‘Taalibes' koranic training. Others sleep in makeshift shelters such as garages, markets, etc. Overpopulated, accommodations don't even meet simple sanitary conditions. There are neither water nor electricity in these sheds where the boys are locked. They are forced to live in squalor with germs, rats, cockroaches and even their own human waste. These less than human conditions forces the boys to go weeks or months without even taking a shower. Due to their inhuman living conditions they often die from malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, and aids. Forsaken, they have no access to medical treatment and left alone to die an early death. More than anything else, they are the victims of severe and inhumane social punishment in ‘Daaras' where they are beaten and abused if they do not bring back the amount of one dollar which is used to maintain their living condition and to take care of the Marabout and his family. The fear of being beaten by the ‘Marabout' frightens them into begging in the streets of Dakar as well as stealing money, food, clothes, etc. Some of them are exploited by what is referred to as ‘Faxmen' who use them in criminal actions (drug and indian hemp trafficking). From this abuse are the ones who suffer a violent police hatred, raids, assaults, and lockups.

Faxmen: ‘Wolof' is a language spoken by many Senagalese people.
Papa Mao Fall Ndiaye
Bajito Onda