Sénégal

The Republic of Senegal is a lower-middle income country on the tip of West Africa that has long been a beacon of hope for Sub-Saharan Africa. Formerly a colony of France, this French-speaking nation is one of the few countries in Africa to never have a coup d’état or establish an authoritarian government. It is internationally recognized for its Islamic traditions, diverse ethnic groups, fishing, dancing, baobab trees, and hospitality referred to as “la Teranga.” With the population 90% Muslim, Senegal’s 10% Christian minority has long been accepted making their country an international model for religious integration and tolerance.

Despite such stability and glowing democratic accomplishments, Senegal is not without its challenges. International discourse generally focuses on its stagnant economic growth as well its debilitating burden of global diseases, namely malaria, diarrheal diseases, respiratory diseases as well as the growing rise of non-communicable diseases as a result of the epidemiological transition. However, what cannot be overlooked in Senegal’s development are its sociocultural issues plaguing the society, particularly involving children.

Former talibé living at NGO Vivre Ensemble (Mbour, Sénégal) eats national dish of thieboudienne

Talibés

The talibés are children of poor Muslim families generally from the rural villages of this West African country. When a family is too poor to raise and care for a boy aged 4 to 18, they turn him over to a marabout. A marabout is a sort of Muslim religious leader. They teach the Qur’an in schools called daaras in big cities like Dakar, Saint-Louis, or Kaolack. In exchange for a Qur’anic education, the children are often forced to be street beggars during the day because marabouts rarely have the means to support them. Generally, during a day of begging, a certain financial quota must be met. If the boy fails to meet the quota, he will be severely abused and beaten. The daaras where they live and receive their education are ridiculously overcrowded and lacking in sanitation standards. It has been compared to child slavery, forced labor while living in horrendous conditions. Work in the streets subjects the children to more risks of danger and further exploitation. They sleep on hard floors, wear unsuitable clothing, lack proper nutrition, and seldom receive healthcare. According to UNICEF, there are over 100,000 of these talibés in Senegal.

Encounters with Talibés

I had the privilege of working with an NGO Vivre Ensemble that is based in the semi-urban community of Mbour. This organization was founded to take care of infants who were orphaned or abandoned, but given the growing need, began to take in former talibés that were abused by their marabout. I was able to work with these boys for several months. They were full of energy and optimism. Spiritually, they did possess a profound knowledge of Islam and could fully recite the Qur’an. These boys loved to play sports like soccer and Senegalese wrestling called “la lutte” in addition to trips to the nearby beach. But their street lives and the systematic violence often manifested itself. They got into violent fights over food, but conflict also stemmed from trivial arguments. I would have to throw myself between them, taking a few punches in the process, in order to break them up. Without any sort of therapeutic or mental health interventions, these boys have no way to cope with their trauma in a healthy way.

I was able to go on outreach trips with an educator that offers food, medicines, first aid and soccer balls to talibés in the community. We went to the gare routière, the location where all of the busses, vans and taxis meet to leave town, which is a notoriously sordid area. Here I was able to meet Omar, a young talibé who spends his days begging at this location. He takes the typical peeled tomato can and approaches people asking for money, while singing verses of the Qur’an. Omar is unique in that he begs alone, rather than in a group with the boys who live in his daara. He likes to be independent and can get more money that way. Amidst the trash, dirt, bustles of people, and broken down cars, I caught a brief glimpse of his daily life. He was probably about 8 years old and spoke broken French allowing us to communicate. Omar explained to me how he begs all day and reports to his marabout in the evening. His marabout holds him responsible for meeting a quota of 400 CFA each day, which is equivalent to about one US dollar. When asked the consequences of failing to meet the daily quota, he slapped his hand against his side to illustrate that he gets beaten. But one of the most interesting components of our conversation was his expressed love and dedication to his marabout. He had nothing but loyalty to his spiritual mentor. This nuance further conveys the complexity in dealing with such an intricate system with such a rooting in Senegalese society. Omar’s evenings are spent going verse by verse through the Qur’an, repeating each line until it is perfectly memorized.

What Drives This Social System?

Islam had been present in Senegal since the 11th century. However, it was not until the king Lat Dyor Diop converted to Islam in the 1860’s that it became the foremost religion in this West African region. Recognizing that Diop was a strong resister of French colonialism, the populace of modern day Senegal became prominently Muslim in his support. The Senegalese are very proud of their religious identity because while they adopted the Islamic distinctiveness, they still managed to maintain many spiritual beliefs and practices from prior to the conversion. I talked to many Muslims who even went out of their way to distance themselves from the Islamic extremists in Arabic countries and emphasized their uniqueness. One colleague expressed to me, “[Extremists] like Bin Laden are not true Muslims. A Muslim cannot kill or harm another human being in ways that he did. Here we practice ‘La Teranga’ which mean Hospitality. We share what we have, no matter how little, with others.”

Evidence and history defend Senegal’s drive for peacefulness. There have been no civil wars, there is no death penalty, and Muslim leader Ahmadou Bamba fought the French through pacifist means without waging brutality or violence. Yet through preserving old beliefs and customs within their unique Islamic identity, the Senegalese created a distinct religious hierarchical network. Their more mystical approach to Islam is referred to as Sufism. In consequence of the Sufi tradition, unique groups of Muslim brotherhoods like the Mourides emerged in Senegal. As part of a brotherhood, it is required that one must have complete obedience and loyalty to his marabout. In their hierarchical system, it is no one’s place to tell a marabout how to treat children. According to respected anthropologist Donna Perry, a parent could not have any contact to protect their children because “it was believed that parents would interfere with the marabout’s strict discipline.” The marabouts she has interviewed over her years of research fervently defend this system as fulfilling divine purposes. In the eyes of many spiritual Senegalese, a Marabout cannot do wrong. There is an intricate power dynamic at play where even a talibés family feels an element of pride and power when they have this established connection with a marabout.

Other circumstances also exacerbate the need for parents to turn their children over to marabouts, including extreme rural poverty. Poverty produces its own barriers to education, health care, housing, and basic human needs in Senegalese. Notably, the school system itself is substandard and lacks suitable infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. Not enough money is being funneled into the education system to meet the demand of children. It is failing to educate the children as evident by the high youth illiteracy rate at 60.7% and its poor enrollment rate.

Solutions: where do we go from here?

President Macky Sall, elected to office in 2012, has pledged action to curb marabout abuses. Public pressure has intensified, notably in 2013 after a fire set ablaze in a crowded daara in Dakar killed 8 talibés and wounded several others. However, little initiative has been taken, and a lot of this stems from fear of upsetting the powerful religious elite that can exert influence on voters. Legislation is needed in order to regulate the daaras where these children are housed. Marabouts should be required to register their daaras with the government. Good governance is a necessity to work with all the stakeholders (marabouts included) to develop suitable, sustainable policies. In addition, evaluation mechanisms must be strengthened to monitor the operations of each daara and ensure proper practices. Education reform that prioritizes innovative ideas to develop school infrastructure and incentivize child attendance can also help the situation by reducing the need to send children away to marabouts in the first place.

France is Senegal’s largest bilateral donor and still exerts a significant amount of influence in their economy and policy to this day. Especially with a political context of good relations between President Sall and French President Hollande, France has a role to play in partnership with Senegal to develop solutions to these issues. The international community needs to hold all involved parties accountable.

This discussion is not to downplay the importance of Islam and spirituality in the lives of these boys. Faith can have an instrumental part of their personal growth into contributing members of Senegalese society. When operated properly, the daaras can be schools of true learning. Some marabouts have taken up the task of teaching skills applicable to the workforce such as agriculture or construction in addition to Qur’anic curriculum. In many instances, use of these skills can generate sustainable income for the marabouts that the practice of child begging becomes obsolete.

Overall, innovative solutions are needed, and inaction will only perpetuate more abuse and systematic violence. Although Senegal has made tremendous progress in its national development, we are obligated to hold all countries accountable when there is a grave injustice against the poor and vulnerable. Firmly, we must stand with the forgotten children of the world and can no more sit idly when they are oppressed.