Impact of Homelessness on Almajiri Children in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper contributes to the burgeoning debate on the impact of homelessness on children particularly on almajiri children in Zamfara State. The almajiri system in Nigeria which was meant to train children in Qur’anic education has turned into a practice where parents/guardians now abdicate their primary duties of providing the basic needs of life such as food, shelter, medical attention, education to the children. These children do not have where to lay down their heads in the day time or at night. Some sleep on the streets, uncompleted buildings or motor parks. It is based on the foregoing that this paper examines the impact of homelessness on almajiri children in Zamfara state. The sample size of study consisted of 318 almajiri children. Questionnaire was used as the primary instrument of data collection. Data collected was analyzed quantitively using tables and percentages. The findings of the study show that there is high prevalence of homelessness among almajiri children. Poverty, social-cultural practices, parental neglect were the major causes of homelessness among almajiri children. The nature of homelessness showed that almajiri children sleep on the streets, uncompleted buildings and motor parks. Data collected also indicated that majority of the homeless Almajiri children suffer from victimization, had no access to medical services, lack of sleep, isolation from their peers and loss personal belongings. The study recommends that government should ensure that parents who send their children to Almajiri must cater for their welfare and, government and Non-governmental Organizations should persuade parents, religious/traditional rulers and other major stake holders to return to Almajiri model schools built by Federal government during the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that had all the facilities for a boarding school with the aim of combining Qur’anic education with vocational education for the good of the almajiri children.