1) A young boy begs at a bus station in southern Senegal.

Because of poverty, many families cannot feed

all their children so send them to Koranic schools where they entrust their children in the care of
marabouts, a Koranic teacher. But without many resources, the boys are forced to beg on the street and
are often vulnerable to abuse.
2) Young boys beg at a bus station in southern Senegal. Many families send their children to Koranic
schools hoping they will receive a religious and moral education, while others are simply unable to care
for all their children and forced to send them to be placed under the care of a marabout, a religious
teacher at the Koranic schools, known as daaras. In many cases though, and unbeknown to parents,
these children are exposed to difficult living conditions, abuse, and are forced to spend hours on these
streets begging for food and money which they then hand in to the marabout the end of each day.
3) A young boy begs on the streets of Dakar. There are an estimated 55 000 talibes in Senegal
Generally these talibes in urban Senegal come from the poorest most rural regions of the country and
also from neighboring countries such as Guinea-Bissau. They are often forced to live in over-crowded
and unsanitary conditions and have to spend much of the day out on the streets begging for food and
money to take back to the daaras.
4) A young boy begs on the streets of Dakar. With thousands of children living in Koranic schools often in
difficult living conditions, the government is working towards introducing basic standards for these
schools and for the Koranic teachers.
5) Seku Sama is a marabout who ran a Koranic school in Dakar, but didn't want his students to have to beg
on the streets so relocated to talibes, a village just outside of Kolda in Southern Senegal.
6) Guediawage, a suburb of Dakar is home to many people from Kolda, in Southern Senegal, an
impoverished region where Female Genital Mutilation is common and many families send their children
to Koranic schools where very often they subject to over-crowded and unsanitary living conditions.
7) At a Koranic school in Guediawage, a suburb of Dakar, boys of different ages study under the guidance of a
marabout who collects money from them for food and lodgings. Most boys must beg in the streets for coins or
rice to bring home to the daara for their upkeep. They are vulnerable to abuse both within the daara and while on
the street begging.
8) At a Koranic school in Guediawage, a suburb of Dakar, an older boy marks how much the younger boys have
brought back from begging on the streets. They all study under the guidance of a marabout who collects this
money from them for food and lodgings. They are vulnerable to abuse both within the daara and while on the
street begging.
9) At a Koranic school in Guediawage, a suburb of Dakar, boys of different ages study under the guidance of a
marabout who collects money from them for food and lodgings. Most boys must beg on the streets for coins or
rice to bring home to the daara for their upkeep. They are vulnerable to abuse both within the daara and while on
the street begging.
10) At a Koranic school in Guediawage, a suburb of Dakar, boys of different ages study under the
guidance of a marabout who collects money from them for food and lodgings. Most boys must beg on
the streets for coins or rice to bring home to the daara for their upkeep. They are vulnerable to abuse
both within the daara and while on the street begging
11) Fode Saw, Head of Child Protection Intermand and NGO focal point in the District Child Protection
Network Committee, talks with a Koranic teacher about ensuring children's rights are respected.
12) Moussa, a 16 year old boy, was sent by his family to Dakar and entrusted to a marabout, a Koranic
teacher, who beat and abused him. He escaped and lived on the street. Eventually he made his way to
Yaakaaru Guneyi Centre on the outskirts of Dakar, a safe house for former "talibes."
13) Naymer, a 16 year old boy who was once a talibe - a Koranic student who must beg for money on the
street to give to a marabout who cares for him - now is at a safe home in Kolda, southern Senegal, where
social workers are trying to help reunite him with his family. Many families send their sons to Koranic
schools because of poverty and the inability to support their families.
14) Sady Ndiaye, a Social worker at Yaakaaru Guneyi Centre, talks with Moussa, a 16 year old boy who was sent by
his family to Dakar and entrusted to a marabout, a Koranic teacher, who beat and abused him. When the children
arrive at the centre they require a lot of psychosocial support as many of them have been exposed to abuse.
15) Former "talibe" boys - children whose families couldn't afford to feed them and send them to the cities under
the care of a Koranic teacher who often forces them to beg on the street - prepare for a football match at
l’Association Diappale Xaleyi, a local organization led by Senegalese footballer Oumar Diop who works to
provide guidance and support to vulnerable children.
16) Former "talibe" boys - kids whose families couldn't afford to feed them and send them to the cities under
the care of a Koranic teacher who often forces them to beg on the street - practice football at l’Association
Diappale Xaleyi, a local organization led by Senegalese footballer Oumar Diop who works to protect these
boys.
17) A group pictures at l’Association Diappale Xaleyi, a local organization led by Senegalese footballer Oumar
Diop who has a center where former tallies can play football and learn other life skills.
18) A safe house in Kolda, southern Senegal, for young boys who were once talibes - Koranic students
who must beg for money on the street to give to a marabout who cares for them. Many families send their
sons to Koranic schools because of poverty and the inability to support their families.
19) Koranic students in class in Taibas, a village outside of Kolda, in Southern Senegal. At Koranic schools in
cities, boys are forced to beg on the streets, whereas in rural areas they can farm.