Talibé and Children Rights Senegal

The issues related to the situation of Talibé Children in Senegal are numerous and deserve greater attention than they have received. Although there are many organizations currently active in the region, a viable national strategy is yet to be developed.

Talibés are children, often subjected, to the care and education of local Qur'anic scholars called Marabous. Many of the children come from rural and often remote areas in Senegal or are brought in from surrounding countries to attend Qur'anic schools, also known as Daaras.

The combination of inadequate funding and the lack of a viable national plan for co-ordinating the activities of the Daaras with the national education, has resulted in a large quantity of children who resort to begging on the streets for their survival. Their life on the street often subjects them to physical abuse and violence, while mal nutrition, lack of basic sanitary conditions and inadequate health care causes a high prevalence of chronic diseases.

SDGI is working togther with La Maison de la Gare (MDG), a locally managed grassroots organisation which provides rudimentary needs such as health services, shelter and vocational training for a number of talibé (street children) in the city of Saint Louis. For more information about the organisation please visit the MDG Website (French only) by clicking on their logo.

SDGI has been working with MDG and their growing network of partner organizations since 2008. SDGI has in this partnership provided technical assistance and strategic co-operation advisory services. For more information about the central issues regarding Talibé children in senegal please consult documents and feeds below.