Niamey: In the major cities of Central Sahel countries, such as Niamey in Niger, Bamako in Mali, and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, an alarming phenomenon of child begging has become an everyday reality. Often dressed in rags with a bowl in hand, these children are a sorry sight on the streets. They represent only the tip of the iceberg of a more profound social phenomenon that is not only mismanaged or ignored by politicians but also normalized by the public.

According to Global Voices, this situation reflects the socio-political challenges of the Central Sahel countries, where poverty is high. In 2021, around 43 percent of Burkina Faso’s population lived below the poverty line, 45.5 percent in Mali, and 47.4 percent in Niger in 2023. These figures highlight the region’s persistent poverty, which is compounded by worsening security and climate challenges.

A Talibé child is a child whose parents send them to Quranic teachers to receive an Islamic religious education. The state has no oversight over these Quranic schools. In many cases, the children supposed to receive a Quranic education are exploited to become sources of income, often to the detriment of the original spiritual intention.

In 2017, a Human Rights Watch report found that over 50,000 Talibé children in Senegal are forced to beg daily, often under the threat of physical violence. These children are subject to multiple risks: violence, exploitation, abuse, and social marginalization. This phenomenon reflects a flagrant violation of children’s rights, depriving them of their fundamental right to education, protection, and a fulfilling childhood.

For years, various factors have pushed Sahel families into extreme hardship. According to the UNICEF report, “Child alert: Extreme jeopardy in the Central Sahel” (2023), a combination of economic, social, and family factors makes this region a prime setting for child begging. The lack or loss of family support due to conflicts or forced displacement forces many children, left to their own devices, to earn a living for themselves.

As such, numerous citizen initiatives have now emerged to help these children. For example, in Burkina Faso, the Suudu Baaba association aims to improve children’s quality of life with sustainable community action. In Mali, the Samusocial association provides psychosocial and medical support. Awareness-raising and digital campaigns are also attempting to break the silence and attract the authorities’ attention.

In this region, government action on this matter remains grossly inadequate. Although the authorities in Niger have banned child begging in its capital, Niamey, this measure is difficult to implement due to the magnitude of the phenomenon and the lack of alternative solutions for families and Quranic schools. As the matter is considered culturally sensitive and not a political priority, it often falls by the wayside. A Save the Children report confirmed that armed groups frequently recruit thousands of street children in these countries.

The normalization of child begging is a ticking time bomb for the Sahel’s future. This generation, deprived of opportunities, risks resigning themselves to poverty and survival by begging. Not only does this threaten their personal development, but it also threatens the social and economic stability of the region as a whole. In Niger, the Nigerian Association for the Treatment of Delinquency and Crime Preventions (ANTD) March 2020 report outlined how the exploitation of Talibés extends beyond local boundaries and must, therefore, be considered a regional phenomenon.

Considering the magnitude of the problem, governments must collaborate with civil society and international organizations to align their efforts. After all, the higher the number of children without access to vocational education, the greater the risk of turning to delinquency and non-state armed groups, threatening the Sahel’s stability.