Johnson's Journal
Like me, most residents of Kubwa will have noticed the rise in the population of Almajeris within the kubwa envrions. It is unclear as to why this is happening. I remember before the lockdown last year, you will be less likely to see an adult begger not to talk more of a child-beggar (Almajeri). Maybe the hardship of the lockdown caused a kind of migration.
The scourge of child beggars roaming every corner brings a dent to the healthy structure of Kubwa. The popular American Snacks spot has become a muster point for these Almajeris. It gets worse if you stay long enough to witness women and their children wandering around begging for money. The question is where are they coming from? Have they always been in kubwa but the lockdown somehow pushed them into the streets? These are questions I occasionally ask myself each time I visit the canteens and supermarkets crawling with Almajeris.
NNPC Junction is another area with a massive presence of Almajeris, they walk around the park. On my way to Wuse one faithful day, while waiting for the vehicle I was boarding to get filled up, I asked a little boy (Almajeri) where he had come from He said he came from Zamfara State. He and some other boys of the same age grade hopped into a loaded truck and stopped when the truck got to Abuja.
I can't tell the authenticity of the story but if it is actually true, that means there's a migration of child beggars towards the FCT and it might only get worse if action is not taken immediately. I have heard and read about NGo's that Carter for this children in many other communities, their attention need to be drawn to this rising issue.
Sentiments apart everyone would agree with me that for us to truly appreciate the marvel that is Kubwa, action has to be put in place to either repatriate or rehabilitate these child-beggars.
The scourge of child beggars roaming every corner brings a dent to the healthy structure of Kubwa. The popular American Snacks spot has become a muster point for these Almajeris. It gets worse if you stay long enough to witness women and their children wandering around begging for money. The question is where are they coming from? Have they always been in kubwa but the lockdown somehow pushed them into the streets? These are questions I occasionally ask myself each time I visit the canteens and supermarkets crawling with Almajeris.
NNPC Junction is another area with a massive presence of Almajeris, they walk around the park. On my way to Wuse one faithful day, while waiting for the vehicle I was boarding to get filled up, I asked a little boy (Almajeri) where he had come from He said he came from Zamfara State. He and some other boys of the same age grade hopped into a loaded truck and stopped when the truck got to Abuja.
I can't tell the authenticity of the story but if it is actually true, that means there's a migration of child beggars towards the FCT and it might only get worse if action is not taken immediately. I have heard and read about NGo's that Carter for this children in many other communities, their attention need to be drawn to this rising issue.
Sentiments apart everyone would agree with me that for us to truly appreciate the marvel that is Kubwa, action has to be put in place to either repatriate or rehabilitate these child-beggars.
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