The training themed, ‘Child safeguarding and alternative care for Almajiri children’, which was funded with contributions from donors and the Eleva Foundation, UK, commenced on Wednesday, with 100 Islamic teachers drawn from eight local government areas of the state.
In his remarks, while addressing participants on ‘Understanding Child Protection and The Ideal Almajiri Education’, UNICEF Sokoto Office Child Protection Officer, Mr. Williams Nwaokorie, said children are the primary beneficiaries of their work, hence, the need for implementing partners to ensure they are not harmed.
He called on all the mallams to take good care of the children in their care and also urged them to be more interested in their future.
In his welcome address, Secretary of the Arabic and Islamic Commission, Dr. Umar Altine Dandin Mahe, emphasised that the ideas being presented are not new, but rather a reflection of the teachings and principles of their religion.
“Our children in Islamiyya and Almajiri schools should be very neat, comfortable and given the needed care to appease others”, Altine said.
While commending UNICEF for its genuine commitment to the welfare of children worldwide irrespective of religion, race and nation, Altine admonished the clerics to pay attention to every segment of the training and ensure maximum interaction to enhance comprehension.
He also suggested that a law be put in place to determine the acceptable age within which parents can take their wards to other places for Islamic education.
On his part, the Sokoto State Executive Chairman of Zakkat and Waqf Commission, Mallam Lawal Maidoki, in a goodwill message, said the issue of Almajiri and its proliferation should be carefully studied.
Maidoki, who was represented by the Director of Endowment Services of Zakkat Commission, Mallam Jabbi Ibrahim Illela Dabore, implored people to differentiate between the large number of children floating on the streets and those who are Almajiri.
Speaking in his presentation, a Professor of Islamic Law from the University of Maiduguri and UNICEF resource person, Umar Alkali, urged Islamic teachers to admit global realities in dealing with children under their care.
While pointing out that God will ask parents about their responsibilities towards their wards, the professor stressed that Islam bestowed certain rights on children.
According to him, these rights include the right to life, education, dignity and health, among others.
