Kano households lament as almajirai leave for sallah vacation
Explaining the essence of the vacation, a Qur’anic teacher in Sabon Titi quarters, Mallam AbdulRauf Abdullah, said it was for the children to go and see their parents and eat sallah meat. He explained, “We normally close the schools during sallah to allow the children go home and celebrate with their loved ones. They will […]
Explaining the essence of the vacation, a Qur’anic teacher in Sabon Titi quarters, Mallam AbdulRauf Abdullah, said it was for the children to go and see their parents and eat sallah meat. He explained, “We normally close the schools during sallah to allow the children go home and celebrate with their loved ones. They will go and eat sallah meat and see their parents.”
The vacation, as discovered Pyramid Trust lasts three weeks. On the departure day, a vehicle is chattered for the almajirai who have come from one area. The fare is paid through contributions from some of the pupils and from the teacher. They leave joyfully for their respective homes. Most of them would have sewn new clothes, bought souvenirs for their parents and siblings.
This sallah vacation showed massive movement of the almajirai from Kano. This is evident in the way the almajirai disappeared from the streets and eateries where they normally go to beg. While the vacation has created hope in the minds of the almajirai and put smiles on their faces, their departure on the other hand, seems to have created discomfort in many homes considering the assistance these almajirai would have offered in most houses during the sallah season.
Investigations by Pyramid Trust revealed that society benefits from the services of these children despite the fact that their presence is seen by the same society as a social menace. The almajirai are errand boys in many homes and eateries. Some of them are sales boys for business men and women.
Some of the almajirais interviewed expressed happiness as they left for sallah, saying they had been looking forward to this time. Miko Adams from Madobi town in Madobi local government area of Kano State, said he was highly excited as he left for home to see his parents and siblings and to eat sallah meat. “This is a happy moment for me. I’m excited as I will go and see my parents and my brothers and sisters and also eat sallah meat. I will not have to go and beg for meat,” he said.
Adams disclosed how he had been preparing for this period by working hard in the house he was running errands for so that his monthly allowance was saved to purchase souvenirs for his parents, siblings and friends. He explained, “I work as errand boy in one house and apart from giving me the three meals, I’m paid N1,000 allowance at the end of the month. I saved the money and now that I’m going home, I have bought wrapper for my mum and other beautiful items for my sisters, brothers and friends.”
He said after one year of studentship, now he would go home and relax and enjoy the festivities with members of his family. He left for home a day to sallah and would be back to his school at Sani Mai Nagge Quarters of Gwale local government area of Kano State after three weeks break.
When our correspondent visited Adam’s school, almost half of the students had left for home. Those who remained at the school were those that had either gone home in recent times for one reason or the other, or they had enrolled newly in the school.
Meanwhile, several households are missing the almajirai. A housewife who had the almajirai running errands and doing some house chores for her disclosed that she shuddered when her almajiri told her he was going home for sallah.
Hajia Jummai Abdul of Badawa Quarters in Nassarawa local government area of the state, said the departure of her almajiri had jeopardized her sallah celebrations. She stated, “when he told me that he was leaving a day before sallah, I was temporarily unbalanced. I was just thinking of the work ahead of me on the sallah day without him. He is such a hard working boy who would never complain. He sweeps the house, mops and washes plates for me. If he is sent on errand, he wastes no time and he is a boy who is doing his work religiously.”
She disclosed how the entire household was unhappy the day he left. “None of us was happy the day he left. I, my husband and all our children gave him so many gifts to take to his parents and siblings. Most of us would miss the boy,” she added.
According to Jummai, if the almajirai system is scrapped, many lives would be affected negatively. She advised government to do everything possible to reform the system so it can function side by side with the modern system of education. “I’m sure if government wants to reform the Qur’anic system of education, it can do it. So I’m advising the state government to map out modalities that would bring this age-long system of education on the same footing with the modern and western education. If government allows the system to continue in its bad condition, God will surely hold them accountable.”
Another household visited told Pyramid Trust that the almajirai vacation was untimely because sallah is a time when house chores multiply. Malama Sa’diyya urged teachers of the Qur’anic schools to change their calendar for closing the schools so that it would not fall on sallah time. She noted that the almajirai are of immense assistance to many households in Kano.