An eight-year-old boy fled his Koranic school in Saint-Louis, Senegal this month after he said a teacher threatened to beat him for not earning enough money begging on the street.
Hours later, alone in the corner of a low-lit bus station, he was raped by a teenager.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Kouyate cries while talking to the boy who was raped.
The child, whose name is not disclosed for privacy reasons, was rescued mid-assault by a local non-profit called Maison de la Gare that patrols Saint-Louis at night battling what has become a deep-rooted problem in Senegalese cities: thousands of young boys sent to religious schools end up begging on the streets, or worse.
"These things are still shocking, even when it is the tenth or fifteenth time you see them," said Maison de la Gare's founder, Issa Kouyate, referring to the boy's case.
A Reuters witness also saw the rape before it was stopped.
Teachers from the school the boy fled declined repeated requests for comment. His parents were not reachable.
Kouyate said that he was making inquiries about the background of the teenager who committed the rape, and will then report him to the police. Saint-Louis police were not available for comment.
On Thursday, Saint-Louis police said in response to a phone call from Reuters seeking comment that the appropriate officer for such a case was not available to speak. On Friday, Reuters calls to the police station went unanswered.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Omar Wone, 8, from Futa, sits on the floor of the daara.
Families across Senegal have long enrolled their children in schools called daaras to learn Islamic scripture and build character. Historically, part of that teaching included begging for food to instill humility.
Many daaras are free from problems of abuse. Success in a daara and strong knowledge of the Koran can lead to a prestigious position as an Imam or a Koranic teacher, known as a marabout. Many parents, often far away back home, are unaware of the risks some children face in the process, said Mamadou Gueye, 57, who works with abused children in Saint-Louis.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
El Hadj Diallou, a former talibe, who became a medic at la Maison De la Gare, treats children with scabies at the daara.
In recent decades, some rights groups say the school children, called talibes, have at times been kept by marabouts in dire conditions, forced to beg for money and beaten if they do not come back with enough. There are no safeguards for children who escape and find themselves alone on the streets, they say.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Amadou, 7, looks at a woman as he begs at the entrance of a shop.
The ill-treatment of talibes was a largely taboo subject in Senegal, but awareness campaigns have slowly provoked debate.
President Macky Sall, who touts himself as a modernising president with a series of large infrastructure projects to his name, in 2016 launched a plan ordering the removal of children from the streets and said those who force them to beg would be jailed.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
El Hadj Diallou (right), a former talibe, who became a medic at Maison De la Gare, talks with Ngorsek, 13, a talibe child, who searches for food in rubbish containers. "I ran away from the daara because I feel tired. The marabout mistreats and beats me often. It's been more than 10 years, I've had enough," Ngorsek said.
About 300 hundred were helped by the program in 2018, government figures show.
"These are our children, and we are trying to involve everyone in protecting them," said Alioune Sarr, head of Child Protection in the Senegalese government. The government has set up a free hotline to report cases of child abuse, he said.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
A talibe eats as he begs in front of a hotel.
The issue has come into focus ahead of Sunday's presidential election. Two of the five candidates, Ousmane Sonko and Issa Sall, said their programs include measures to regulate the daaras system and end child begging.
Human Rights Watch says over 100,000 children are still sent out to beg.
In Saint-Louis, as in the capital Dakar, groups of children weave through traffic asking for money, wearing shorts and ragged football shirts bearing the names of their millionaire heroes.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Moussa, a talibe, from Futa, carries a bucket of water to take a shower. "My parents know that I'm begging to take money back to the marabout but they don't do anything. I don't like to beg but I'm forced. I'm being beaten up if I don't take money back," he said.
At Maison de la Gare, talibes can eat a sandwich, shower, wash their clothes and receive first aid assistance. There are opportunities to learn English and play sport.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Demba attends karate training in the courtyard of Maison De la Gare.
"I'm learning karate so I can defend myself," said eight-year-old Demba, who said he was once forced by a teacher to stay out all night and beg for money, only to be robbed by a drunk man at 6 a.m.
He did not give the name of the marabout, or the school.
After being away from home, Demba expressed mixed feelings about the family that sent him to the school in the first place.
"I no longer feel anything towards my parents," Demba said. "I don't even know if I'm angry at them or not."
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. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Suleiman, 10, said: "I can't go to see my parents until I finish learning Koran... I have to bring back 200 francs a day to the marabout, otherwise I will be beaten up. Often I can't collect them."
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Suleiman (left) and his mate from the daara beg in the streets of Saint-Louis.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Bassirou Toure, 6, said: "I am often mistreated by the marabout. He beats me when I fall asleep during the course, he beats me when I don't bring him back the money he wants... I'm very angry at my parents for leaving me there alone."
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Issa Kouyate (left), 39, the founder of Maison de la Gare, entertains talibe children at the organisation's courtyard.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Bassirou Toure, 6, takes part in an entertainment program in the courtyard of Maison De la Gare.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Abdel Rahman, 20, a former talibe, who became a karate coach at Maison De la Gare, trains talibe children. "I have myself experienced the pain of being sent to the streets to beg. Karate helped me a lot, now it's my turn to help others get out," he said. "I'm one of them and they trust me. I urge them to participate in a local championship. It's one of the ways to reintegrate into society."
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
A boy waits to receive his daily evening sandwich at Maison De la Gare. The writing on the wall reads: "No to running away from responsibility, the child is a human being and has rights."
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
A boy waits to receive his daily sandwich in the courtyard of Maison De la Gare.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Kabou, 9, walks out with his sandwich he received at Maison De la Gare. "I come to the center because they give me the opportunity to learn how to write and read French properly because at the daara we learn to recite Koran and we are then sent back to the streets to beg," he said.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Moussa stands inside a classroom of Maison De la Gare.
. Saint Louis, SENEGAL. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Abdou, 9, attends an entertainment program at Maison De la Gare. "I come to this center whenever I can, it's the only place where I feel good and safe," he said.
