Drawing & Painting Bring Joy to Talibé Children
November – December saw Sara taking some of the Arts Lab magic to work with Talibé street children at Maison de la Gare* in Saint-Louis, Senegal. Unpacking the suitcase of paint brushes, paper, paints and pastels, the excitement and eagerness to get stuck in was overwhelming. ‘Ndank ndank’ (slowly slowly in Wolof). ‘There’s plenty of time and plenty for everyone.’ Over a period of 4 weeks we must have worked with over 300 boys bringing just a little joy into their lives; a moment to leave the trauma of their existence behind and share the thrill of creative expression and free play – just that!
For further reading and great photos, see Creative Voice for Senegal’s Talibé in our Projects section.
‘Dusty, dirty, and often-barefooted boys holding empty tomato cans or plastic bowls as they beg for money remain a common sight in Senegal’s capital, Dakar and in many other cities across the country. Most of them are current or runaway talibés – Quranic students – sent to live and study at traditional Quranic schools known as daaras. Despite periodic moments of increased but inconsistent government attention to their plight, the number of talibé children subjected to forced begging and other serious abuses by their Quranic teachers remains staggering.
Based on existing data, Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 100,000 talibés living in residential daaras across Senegal are forced by their Quranic teachers, also known as marabouts, to beg daily for money, food, rice or sugar. Thousands of these children live in conditions of extreme squalor, denied sufficient food and medical care. Many are also subject to physical abuse amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment.
Government officials have repeatedly pledged to address the problem over the years, including by rolling out two phases of a Dakar-focused program to “remove the children from the streets” in June 2016 and March 2018. However, these efforts have had limited impact, failing to reach the thousands of talibés begging in other regions across the country. Sustained commitment by the Senegalese authorities to stop the forced begging and abuse, ensure justice, and protect talibés has proven elusive.’
Human Rights Watch June 11th 2019 ‘There is Enormous Suffering’
*Maison de la Gare is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to helping the talibé street children to become productive participants in Senegalese society. The organisation is a Senegalese initiative, driven by a commitment to improve the lives of these children.
