Rhythm

“They have been here since 6:00 am, just after the first prayer of the day,” he said, describing the rhythm of life for many young boys in this majority-Muslim west African nation.

“The state does nothing for these children. I have been doing this job 15 years and nothing has changed,” Lo added.

Three times a week, Lo joins forces with a social worker to scout out these small groups of boys and warn them of the dangers of begging in a city of few pavements and notoriously terrible drivers.

Their task is immense: 30,000 of these children beg in Dakar alone, and abuses are common.

Human Rights Watch has documented two deaths from abuse at the hands of teachers, five sexual abuse cases and 28 cases of beating and imprisonment in Senegal, all recorded since the crackdown began last year.

Studying in an Islamic boarding school, or “daara”, is a respected decision, especially among rural families. A son is sent away at a young age to learn from a “marabout”, or teacher of the Holy Quran.

In reality most learn little of the Holy Quran and less of anything else that might give them a head start in life, instead spending long hours begging with the threat of a beating if they fail to bring back enough food or money.