Just In :I wish I can go to western school like any other child, says 11-year-old Almajiri - Risingsuntv

Kaduna – An 11-year-old Almajiri, Usman Ya’u, says his
desire in life is to go to a conventional school like any
other child, so that he can become a teacher.
Ya’u who is from Katsina State said on Friday that his
parents brought him to Kaduna to learn the Qura’n at an
almajiri school in Hayin Dan Mani.













…Cross section of Almajiri students
The boy who spoke in Hausa said, he likes the almajiri
school but dislikes begging and would want to acquire
western education so that one day he can teach in his
village.














“I don’t enjoy begging but had to it out of necessity
because that is the only way I can feed myself.
“Whenever I am out to beg, I see children who are my
mate, wearing uniforms, with school bags and their lunch
boxes, some of them speaking English which I don’t
understand.















“I want to go to school too, so that I can learn how to
write and speak English because I want to become a
teacher in my village”, he said.
When asked if he was aware of the child protection and
welfare law passed in Kaduna State aimed at providing
sound education, health and protect children from
exploitation and other vices, Ya’u said he wasn’t aware of
it.
















“I am not aware of any law protecting us, as you can see
there are many of my kind roaming the streets begging
for alms.
“However, I want to plead with the government to ensure
the implementation of the law as it would favour me and
others who have dream of becoming leaders of
tomorrow.”
















NAN reports that the Child Protection and Welfare Bill was
passed into law on February 8, by the Kaduna State
House of Assembly. (NAN)