Following an increase in the number of cases of the Coronavirus disease to more than 600 across the country, a forum of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has called on the federal government to include Almajiri children in its response plan to prevent a possible outbreak among them.
In a position paper, the five NGOs under the auspices of Advocates for Dan Almajiris lauded the palliative measures rolled out by various levels of governments with support from the private sector, but decried the exclusion of Almajiri children who are already exposed to poor health conditions and the probability of contracting the virus, giving their situation.
The NGOs which include Plan International Nigeria, Street Child, Riplinton Education Initiative (REI), the Almajiris Child Right Initiative and ActionAid Nigeria said their call became necessary because according to 2014 report by UNICEF, the Almajiris constitute 9.5 million of the country’s children within the ages of three to 14.
The forum observed that while it is laudable that the government is investing resources to maintain law and order during the pandemic, there is no evidence of special attention to issues affecting children, especially the Almajiris and other street kids who are more vulnerable in periods of emergency which offer a supportive environment for potential predators.
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The NGOs noted that the Almajiris are intinerant kids sent by their parents from far and near to Quranic teachers to mentor them through their religious knowledge across the country. Most times, they are left to fend for themselves and they survive through street begging and scavenging.
“The Almajiri children are far removed from all major sources of information on COVID-19 and the opportunity of parental guidance on the messages and guidelines”.
The NGOs said “implication of this is that they are not able to protect themselves and would not be able to observe any physical distancing or access any medical services should they contact the virus”.
They called for the expansion of the social register to include the Almajiri children to provide food, non-food items and cash palliatives for them at strategic locations close to them.
The forum also recommended provision of temporary shelter and proper safety and protection of the children on transit in line with the Child Protection and safeguarding principles as contained in the convention on the Rights of Children, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other Conventions that the country has signed and ratified.