Visible child begging in Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou reflects broader failures across the Central Sahel. Persistent poverty is recorded in national figures: 43 percent of Burkina Faso’s population lived below the poverty line in 2021, 45.5 percent in Mali (2021) and 47.4 percent in Niger in 2023. The three countries together have approximately 77 million people, with over 28 million in Niger, over 25 million in Mali and over 24 million in Burkina Faso.
Multiple investigations document large-scale exploitation. More than 20,000 children in Mali are forced to beg, 43 percent of them girls (COMADE). An Anti Slavery survey identified 76,080 victims among 86,824 students in 1,543 Quranic schools in Niger. Human Rights Watch found over 50,000 Talibé children forced to beg daily in Senegal (2017). UNICEF’s report "Child alert: Extreme jeopardy in the Central Sahel (2023)" links economic, social and family factors to this trend, and notes that conflict and displacement often remove family support.
States often have limited oversight of Quranic schools, and some children sent for religious education are exploited for income. A Save the Children report says armed groups frequently recruit thousands of street children, and reports warn that religious rhetoric can be used to recruit young people. Local organisations such as Suudu Baaba and Samusocial offer community action and psychosocial and medical support, and awareness campaigns also seek to draw attention.
Activists warn that normalising child begging risks creating an at-risk generation. Experts call for governments to work with civil society and international organisations to offer education, vocational training and protection for these children.
- Community action and sustainable support
- Psychosocial and medical help
- Education, vocational training and protection
Difficult words
- persistent — continuing for a long time without change
- poverty — lack of money, food, and basic needs
- exploitation — using people unfairly for work or profit
- displacement — being forced to leave home or area
- oversight — official supervision or control of activities
- psychosocial — relating to both psychological and social support
- vocational — related to skills for a specific job
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Discussion questions
- What kinds of education or vocational training could help reduce child begging in these countries? Give reasons.
- How might limited oversight of Quranic schools contribute to child exploitation, and what measures could improve oversight?
- What role can local organisations and international agencies play together to protect children affected by poverty and displacement?
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