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Nathaniel Gbaoron, Lafia
Non Governmental Organization, African Union Development Agency (AUDA) in partnership with New partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is set to feed 6,000 Almajiri Children in Nasarawa during this years Ramadan period.
Coordinator of AUDA-NEPAD. and Special Adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on NGOs and Development partners, Hajiya Munira Abdullahi disclosed this in Lafia during an exclusive interview with MoneyCentral correspondent.
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 Almagiries had to be increase as a result of increase in the number of the children in the state.
“We are carrying out a programme called the almajiri feeding program and it is done during the Ramadan period. We carried this out successfully last year and 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 donation in food items for us to be able to feed this children in the Ramadan period,” Hajiya Murina Abdullahi declared.
Decrying the neglect of the Almajiri Children, Hajiya Murina Abdullahi noted that while quranic system of education is recognized, efforts should be made to send these almajiries to the formal system of schools in that way the number of children begging would be reduced, exposing them on the street would be minimized and the kind of vices they are being exposed to would be curbed.
“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 institution not just sending them to somebody or institution they do not know.
Let these institutions be recognized by the government and the people and let these children be sent to proper institution for them to be properly educated, so that in future they can contribute their own qouta to the society not only in Nasarawa state but to the nation.”