By David Odama (In Lafia, Nasarawa State)
A Non-Governmental Organization, African Union Development Agency (AUDA) in partnership with New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD.) is to feed 6,000 Almajiri Children in Nasarawa state during this year's Ramadan period.
Coordinator of AUDA-NEPAD. and Special Adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on NGOs and Development partners, Hajiya Munira Abdullahi, disclosed this on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with NIGERIAN NEWS-LEADER Newspaper in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital.
Hajiya Munira Abdullahi said the Organization, last year, undertook the feeding of over 1,000 Almajiri Children in the state, adding that the number of Almajiris had to be increased as a result of the increase in the number of children in the state.
"We are carrying out a program called the almajiri feeding program and it is done during the Ramadan period. We carried this out successfully Last year we were able to feed about a thousand almajiri children within a 27 day period and this year, we hope to feed about six thousand, we may or may not meet our target or surpass our target but we are calling on philanthropist to make a donation in food items for us to be able to feed these children in the Ramadan period" Hajiya Murina Abdullahi declared
According to the special adviser to the Governor on non Governmental and Development partners, "What this initiative does is to call on philanthropists, especially those from nasarawa state, to make their contribution towards the feeding of the almajiri children. We want these scholars to know that these children have right and they should be enrolled in schools for formal education".
Decrying the neglect of the Almajiri Children, Hajiya Murina Abdullahi, noted that while the quranic system of education is recognized, efforts should be made at sending these almajiris to the formal system of schools. He said that way, the number of children begging would be reduced and exposure them on the street would be minimized and the kind of vices they are being exposed to would be stemmed.
"All we have to do is to engage with the malams and the parents of these children for them to recognize that they should be sending their children to reputable institutions not just sending them to somebody or institution they do not know.
"Let this institution be recognized by the government and the people and let these children be sent to a proper institution for them to be properly educated so that in future, they can contribute their own quota to the society, not only Nasarawa state but to the nation.
"It's just that the almajiri school system may not be as structured as the government school system. They do not have many records and do not have people's attention to recognize them as schools but these children can come from any where around the country and they are Nigerian children, they deserve the best and they have rights and need to be protected. NNL.