In the coastal city of Saint-Louis, Senegal, dozens of young boys, some as young as five, spend their days begging on the streets rather than receiving the Qur’anic education their families hoped for. These boys, known as talibés, are sent by impoverished parents from rural Senegal and neighboring countries such as the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau to study under religious teachers called marabouts. However, many of these children are exploited, forced to beg for food and money to benefit their marabouts rather than themselves.
From Tradition to Exploitation
The practice of sending children to study the Qur’an in daaras, or Qur’anic schools, is a long-standing tradition across West Africa. Historically, these schools were community-supported and focused on religious education. However, with increasing urbanization, many marabouts have relocated their daaras to cities, where some have turned the practice into a lucrative business. According to Issa Kouyaté, founder of Maison de la Gare, a Senegalese organization supporting talibés, “It’s not about the Qur’an – it’s about the money.” Human Rights Watch estimated in 2019 that at least 100,000 talibés in Senegal are forced to beg daily.
Harsh Conditions and Abuse
While some marabouts care for their students, many talibés endure severe mistreatment. They are often assigned daily begging quotas, and failure to meet these targets can result in beatings. In extreme cases, children have been shackled to prevent escape. The living conditions in many daaras are deplorable, with overcrowded, unsanitary spaces lacking basic amenities such as electricity, running water, or proper toilets. Talibés frequently suffer from skin infections and sleep in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the elements.
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One boy, Mamadu*, who was brought from Guinea-Bissau to Saint-Louis in 2022, described his experience: “I beg every day; there is never a day off. I have to collect 250 West African francs [35p] a day. If I don’t, the amount carries over to the next day.” He also recounted being beaten while begging and expressed a longing to return home, having not spoken to his parents since arriving.
Human Trafficking and Cross-Border Exploitation
Human rights activists highlight that the trafficking of talibés extends beyond Senegal’s borders. Children are often moved across countries, left vulnerable to exploitation, mistreatment, and even sexual abuse. Fatimata M’Baye, a Mauritanian human rights activist and trustee of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, noted that while the practice was once socially accepted, it has increasingly devolved into trafficking and abuse, especially for children migrating between countries.
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Challenges to Reform
Despite legal frameworks intended to combat forced begging and trafficking, enforcement remains weak. Senegal’s 2005 anti-trafficking law prohibits these practices, but prosecutions are rare and often undermined by pressure from religious leaders, communities, and politicians. Human Rights Watch reported that judicial authorities frequently drop cases or reduce charges against offenders.
Kouyaté emphasizes that cultural respect should not come at the expense of children’s rights. He asserts, “There is no verse in the Qur’an that says children should be exploited through forced begging,” nor should they be subjected to neglect, poor living conditions, or abuse.
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The plight of talibés in Senegal reveals a troubling intersection of tradition, poverty, and exploitation. While the promise of religious education motivates families to send their children away, many boys face a harsh reality of forced labor and abuse. Addressing this issue requires not only legal enforcement but also community engagement to protect vulnerable children and uphold their rights.
*Name changed to protect identity.
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