Slaves

Slaves

This is the most difficult blog to write. Not in my wildest nightmares I thought I would witness what I saw in St. Louis.

I never imagined that in today’s globalized and interconnected world child slavery would exist.

I had heard about it, and I refused to believe it (“fake news”). Until I visited St. Louis.

 The Context

This is the story about the Talibes. A Talibe is a boy – typically at the age between four and fifteen - who studies the Koran at a Daara, a koranic boarding school. The teaching is done by a Marabout, a religious teacher. Parents send their sons to a Daara for various reasons. It could be because they expect a better future for their sons if they are brought up by a Marabout. In many cases they do it because they cannot afford the financial burden of bringing up their sons. They are mostly farmers facing the impact of droughts and reduced yields of their lands.

Daaras have existed for centuries. Traditionally they played the essential role of providing basic religious and secular education to the farmer boys. Over the last decades Daaras have moved more and more into the urban centres of Senegal (this practice is also known in other West African countries).

Child Slavery

Many Daaras have developed the “Child Slavery” case. Instead of providing the children the basic education, they force them to beg on the streets. The Talibes are required to beg for approximately 8 hours a day for their own food as well as quota to be delivered to their Marabouts. The Talibes deliver in St. Louis on average 350 – 450 CFA (= approximately 0.75 – 1 EUR) per day to their Marabouts . They face maltreatment if they do not fulfil the requested daily quota.

This “model” has become the fundamental “raison d’être” for a sizeable number of Daaras and their Marabouts.

According to Human Rights Watch there are currently more than 100’000 children living in Daaras in Senegal that are forced to daily beg for food and money.

This is nothing else than the “Child Slavery Business Case” of the 21st Century.

Forced labour, slavery, torture, and trafficking

All the above described is in contradiction with existing Human Rights and The Convention on the Rights of the Child. The above is known to the authorities. It is also known to the child protection and international agencies.

Light in the tunnel

Issa Kouyate is the most motivating and engaging person I met in St. Louis. When confronted with the “slavery” case he moved 2007 to St. Louis and founded the “Maison de la Gare”. An institution that fights daily to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor.

I was so lucky to encounter such a personality: a person projecting a strong fighting spirit and at the same time radiating hope.

Climate Change

The picture of the destroyed neighbourhoods compiled with the thousands of Talibes begging on the streets of St. Louis creates indescribable furies and sadness.

My take – away: let’s listen to the cry of the poor and act!

Important notes

The black and white pictures have been taken by the Portuguese photographer Mario Cruz (Mario Cruz - Photography (mario-cruz.com). He received the World Photo Press of the Year 2016 for his Talibes series.

The “Maison de la Gare » founded by Issa Kouyate has become the "last resort" home for the Talibes in St. Louis. Please check on the webpage for further info: NGO Maison de la Gare (mdgsl.com)