The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Kwara has enrolled 200 Almajiri children in a school in Ilorin, Halimat Yusuf, an association official said on Friday.

Ms. Yusuf while presenting school uniforms and learning materials to the beneficiaries said the children have the right to go to school and be educated, irrespective of their origin, religion or tribe.

FOMWAN’s intervention comes at a time when the number of out-of-school children under the Almajiri system, prevalent in the North is swelling worryingly.

Ms. Yusuf added that FOMWAN was determined to encourage and support implementation of programmes that would afford the children western education.

“FOMWAN is determined to have a good number of children in schools because if they are not educated they are more likely to suffer adverse health outcomes and less likely to participate in the decisions that affect them,” Ms. Yusuf said. “It will be a big threat to their ability to build a better future for themselves and their communities.’’

The children, who were mainly scavengers and beggars, were enrolled at Karuma LGEA Primary School ‘A’ in Ilorin.

Ms. Yusuf described as worrisome the increase in the number of Almajiri children on the streets, mostly in the Gambari area of Ilorin, and how they are used for begging.

She described the idea as a violation of the rights of children to education, health, security, food and dignity.

“They will be the one guiding them; holding their arms to various places in the town and outside the town,” she said. “The children were so small before, but we later discovered that they are growing up to teenagers and so on. So we pitied them and found it necessary to help them.”

Ms. Yusuf, stated that the association was only able to adopt 200 children because of the financial burden involved in the task.

She said that the committee had informed the relevant government agencies and the state government had expressed interest in taking over the sponsorship.

(NAN)