Mohamed Traoré is only eight years old. He takes coranic courses in the Djélibougou neighborhood and spends the rest of his time begging at the crossroads of the police station in the 3rd district.
He claims that his master gives him orders to go and beg in streets. “Every Monday, after class, we go to beg for 4 days in different areas of the city.”
Holding a worn tomato can that he uses as a container to collect money, Mohamed Traoré is wearing torn and miserable clothes. He says that his brother is in charge of collecting the daily income from other ten children spread across multiple areas.
He reported that every child’s income varied between 1000 and 1500 FCFA per day.
He says:" All this money is subsequently given to the master on Friday”, and adding that he doesn’t have any idea about the sum of money collected every week.
According to Mohamed Traoré, the master uses these sums of money to buy them mil and rice.
As for Seydou Koné, Daou Koné, Boura Traoré and Boua Traoré, they work in a group.
« We all learn Coran from the same master in the Banconi neighborhood, and then, we all spend 12 hours asking people’s mercy to collect about 1000 FCFA a day” they said.
According to an Imam of a sunni mosque of the Hippodrome, begging is a practice in the Malian islamic culture. He believes that begging, youth trafficking and poverty have overspread due to the urban development in Bamako.
From his side, Ousmane Coulibaly, who is a teacher of Coran in Missira in the Issa Kalandew Center, justifies begging among children as a result of the lack of financial means and funds in the center.
He explains: "Life is really tough and hard in the center and parents send their children to learn Coran without any material or financial support. That’s why we find it necessary to send them beg money to meet their needs.”
According to a shoe seller who works close to « rail-da », the number of children who beg is increasing more and more. He says that they spend all the time begging in streets and between cars.
He says:" Moreover, very often, parents come with their child’s photo who left the house."
According to a technical advisor at the Ministry of Promotion of Women, Child and Family, many mechanisms have been put in place to guarantee a better coaching and support dedicated to children beggars.
« We are working, in coordination with the ministry in charge of solidarity and social development in order to ensure that child's rights are not only complied with but also endorsed”, he states without giving an official figure.
He concluded by saying: "However, we lack financial means to conduct investigations to determine the extent of the scourge."
