Thread by @ECOnuoha

One of the shockers I got in my time in the North, Kano state to be precise, was the Almajiri system. The greatest shock was the bomb explosions, but I want to talk about the Almajiri system. #Thread

I did my NYSC in Kano State. I left Enugu for Kano sometime in Nov 2011. It was my first trip to the North, except for Abuja, which some of us don’t consider as North North. You get the point?

After the 3 weeks Orientation camp at Kusala Dam Karaye, it was time to go. Like everybody else, I was itching to leave that compound that had held us caged for 21 days. As we waited to collect our posting Letters for PPA, little did I know that my greatest shock yet was outside

As the gates were finally thrown open, and as we were being driven out of the compound, I saw a sight that I have not forgotten 8 years, and I am sure I will never forget. Behold a sea, nay, an ocean spread out in front of me, except that it wasn’t an ocean, but children.

I have never seen such a large congregation of children. They were in their thousands! All within the age bracket of 5 years and 12 years! The sight alone sent goose bumps all over my body. We were then told they were Almajiris.

I had a lot of questions. @ogetogeo and Izuu never prepared my mind about it when they gave their pep talk encouraging me to go ahead to Kano. I never knew I will see kids barely off their mother’s breasts on the streets with plastic plates. Each one had a plastic plate

The Almajiri kids had gotten information that corpers were leaving, so they had come to “scavenge” for whatever has been left behind. I asked a hundred questions. I had another hundred I couldn’t ask. It didn’t occur to me that it wasn’t going to be my last Almajiri experience

I was told that the children were sent by their parents to a Mallam, an Islamic Teacher who will teach them the Koran. I was told that they come from different locations, some came outside Kano State. The parents make or are supposed to make some contributions for their feeding

But some don’t, while some don’t send enough supplies. The Teachers have no option than to send the boys aways away to fend for themselves. They each have a plate, a plastic one. With their plates, they move from place to place, begging for food or money

While moving from place to place, when it gets dark, they find a place to sleep on the streets. Now, I saw the harshest kind of weather I have ever seen in my life in kano. I have never experienced the kind of cold I saw from Nov to February. Extremely cold!

I barely survived the cold, with all my thick clothes and sweater. Yet, these little kids were out in the cold. That they survive one night outside is nothing but miracle. Kano also has extremely hot weather from around April, May, June and July. The heat could fry you

It was such a big deal for me. Yet, the Almajiri kids were out in the sun in the open. They also have hunger to deal with, which was their primary concern.

The first time I stopped by a “Mama Put” to eat, during the registration process, I had my second Almajiri shocker

We were inside the makeshift buka, our order had been served. As I ate, I observed the little kids with plates parading just outside. Any attempt to enter was sternly resisted by the howling of the food seller. I later understood why. She wanted her customers to eat in peace

As I finished my food, and made to wash my hands on the bowl in front of me, then bam! 💥
With the speed of lightning, two boys rushed in and attacked the leftovers in my plate with viciousness. Each one immediately sent whatever they could grab into their mouth immediately.

They knew the food seller will attack, but it didn’t matter. They had to get some of the leftovers first. I was astonished. I cried. I cried. I cried again. I was even more bewildered by the fact that the people around me didn’t even notice. It was normal.

When I established friendship with a Learned friend in the law firm where I did my Primary Assignment at Bompai Road, I cross examined him extensively on Almajiri issue. He was a Muslim, still is. He disapproves of the Almajiri system. He vowed that nothing will make him do it

To all those kids out on the streets, in the harshest weather conditions, I want to say that I am sorry. I am Sorry that we failed you. Your parents failed you. The Government failed you. The system failed you. We all failed you