Meeting with a beggar child

Meeting with a “Talibé” in the City of Saint-Louis , Senegal , West Africa

This is not a surprise to meet with a beggar child, commonly knows as “talibé”, outside the city of Saint-Louis .
During my last Bajito Onda journey in Saint-Louis , I came to meet with a beggar boy called Modou Diaw. Aged from six (6) years, I met with him in my way early before eight (8) in the morning holding out a big empty tomato can that serves him to collect items such as money and foods. I saw him running out the streets without any shoes on his feet wearing out a small pants with an old and dirty shirt in rag while it got really cold in such streets. Modou whose father is dead of Malaria came to Saint-Louis by walk from his native village called “Teud Bitti” which is located between Louga and Saint-Louis and where the extreme poverty deserves. Modou who is begging since this time in Saint-Louis is supposed to feed himself and to help his mother who has stayed in the poor village of “Teud Bitti”. He lives in the street in the middle of downtown with a group of what is referred to as “faxman” - ‘Wolof’ term to designate people who, as a result of the damage of familial relations, decide to deliberately make a breaking with their parents in leaving them to elope in places unknown to them - who has set themselves up under the market stalls of Sor, Saint-Louis . He uses to beg every day from seven (7) a: m to night (9) p: m. For that he gets any times for leisure except when he plays with his buddies outside the streets during the begging times.
He has already joined a gang of little “talibé” forced by “faxmen” to steal and sell drugs and marijuana in the streets. He is also exploited by some tourists giving him money to sex with him.
The begging look like a strong struggle for this young boy because he is obliged to beg at least the sum of USD1 a day while his begging square is frequented by lots of child and adult beggars.
The original meaning appointing a “talibé” like a young pupil at a koranic school studying with a “marabout” (koranic teacher) does not work for Modou Diaw. He has never been to school. Neither to a French school nor to a koranic school. Perhaps the street is his official school.
His only dream is to join the Bajito Onda Educational training programs for Children.

By Papa Mao Fall Ndiaye
African Programs Director
Bajito Onda Foundation