Spending Ramadan with Zaria’s Almajirai
The sight of young mendicants roaming the streets begging for food and alms is common in most cities of northern Nigeria. The physical appearance of these young lads and the kind of chores they perform while on the street tell much of the kind of lives th
As early as 3am in a group of five, Mubarak (8), Yusufa (11), Sani (7), Ibrahim (8) and Usman (10) set out from their school in search of Sahur, pre-dawn food during fasting. They are Almajirai (pupils of Islamic school) who have to fend for themselves. Though they may not be eligible to fast in the month of Ramadan, but they shoulder the task of searching for food for their senior colleagues and Malam (tutor).
The quintet moves from one street to the other shouting Wahidun (calling attention of alms givers). They do that up to the end of the prescribed time of Sahur. After “feeding” their senior colleagues and Malam, they have to continue searching for their own breakfast. This forces them to go beyond the prescribed time of Sahur begging for food.
Having performed their first morning duty, the next thing is to participate in the morning lesson, usually between 5:30am and 9am. At the end of the lesson, the quintet, along with other pupils, pour out from the class like bees into the streets with each carrying a bowl.
They take different directions either individually or in a group. These pupils move to neighbouring households where they work as servants, some go from one house to another asking for menial jobs to do, others dash to football fields to play before they find their ways to the main road to beg, while some remain in the school to attain to Malam’s household duties.
There are some young shoeshiners among them, those who go to nearby refuse dumps to scavenge, as well as those who go to markets, tertiary institutions, restaurants and even beer parlours to wash plates and perform other duties.
A section of these Almajirai is sometimes hired to sweep shops and clear culverts by shop owners in different markets in Zaria. Some of the teenage Almajirai are taken to farms to work. Motor Parks and other public places are also patronised by Almajirai either to beg or serve as porters for travellers.
Daily Trust correspondent moved with the quintet of Mubarak, Yusufa, Sani, Ibrahim and Usman. After leaving their school in Tudun Wada, Zaria, they headed to the PZ and Sabon Gari areas of the ancient city. Jumping from one end of the street to the other, they had their first stopover at the huge refuse dump close to the Kubanni Bridge and scavenged for scraps for some time.
Sani was charged with the responsibility of keeping the scraps that were packed in a polythene bag, being the youngest. From the refuse dump, they moved to some filling stations along the main road.