“LISTEN TO US”

PROGRAMME EIGHT

NARRATOR: Listen to Us

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NARRATOR: “Listen to Us” is a programme about the plight of

children. It is aimed at bringing awareness to parents,

authorities and the society in general on issues

concerning us. Stay tuned.

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HYPE

TESTIMONY

Peace be upon you. My name is Abdullahi Yahaya, popularly called Maiyaki. I

was brought from Jigawa, Maigatari Local Government Area, from a village. I

went to school when I was nine years old. I am now fifteen years old. The

hardships I went through, I don’t want to recall them, because while recalling

some of them, I feel very bitter. I will talk about some which have not been a lot

of problem to me. The truth is a beggar is not a privileged person. Sometimes

when you get into a disagreement with someone, you are always wrong, even

when you are right. When someone does something to you and you happen to

beat him your Islamic teacher will beat you, since you have nobody to stand for

you. I had a quarrel with a boy, I was beaten by my Islamic teacher, and he said

I should be patient. I met the boy again, he knew he could do it again this time

and nothing will happen. We quarreled again and I pushed him down, he fell

down and bruised his forehead. When he went home and reported, I was called

in school and a big stone was taken and I was forcefully bruised on my

forehead. This was done in front of the boy’s mother. She became satisfied

when she was sure I had been punished too. These things I don’t want to recall.

My only hope is to also go to school just like I see others going so that I will

also be regarded as someone. I will call on anyone who is in a position to help

to please do so. One day I want to become a pilot by God\s Grace.

HYPE

INTERVIEW.

TANIMU- We now have an interview with Professor Fatima

Mohammed Umar. She is from the Department of

Education, Bayero University Kano. The interview

will focus on what affects us Qur’an learners. What

kind of research are you involved with concerning

Qur’an Learners?

PROFESSOR FATIMA - When I started my research it was not on

Qur’an learners but eventually I came across the issue.

I started my research on child labour, boys are also

involved. I was about to write a book when it occurred

to me that boys are also involved and those involved

in child labour are most of the time Qur’an learners.

They have houses they go to work. The kinds of work

they do in those houses are usually the same with what

the girls also do. I knew they were bound to face

problems since they were not under the care of their

parents. So I further conducted a research on the

problems faced by Qur’an learners while they were

undergoing their studies. I also conducted on how the

society views them and how it handles them. The

reason for this is, I came across something which

shows that the way the society views them is different

from the way other children are viewed even when

their age is the same, they are of the same height,

whether boys or girls, they are not viewed in the same

way. So I started this research too.

TANIMU- What are you findings as regards Qur’an learners?

PROFESSOR FATIMA- Information should be sought about Q ur’an

learners. Ways should be found where by these

children can be helped so that they can stop begging.

The problems I mentioned should also be tackled. If it

is discovered that there are those who are

compounding the problem, steps should be taken to

protect their lives and integrity in all schools. I haven’t

gone far yet and you see the importance of this is

emerging. When you don’t have these figures, how

many schools are there, how many children are there

when you want, for instance, to send policemen to

guard them or vigilante groups to guard them in the

night, then you won’t know where these schools are

located. The information on where they are, how

many children there are, how many teachers there are,

will begin to emerge. Also Qur’an learning should be

included in the schools’ curriculum. Government

should be able to welcome this development. In the

school curriculum, there should be one specifically

meant for Qur’an learners for example in every one of

those Qur’an schools, classes should be built for

taking western education even if it is one class, some

will be able to learn now and others later. This can be

arranged. When this is done, the Qur’an learners don’t

have to leave their studies to go to the conventional

schools. There will both be the conventional and the

Islamic school. This way there will be benefits. Then

parents who are in the habit of sending their children

to Qur’an schools, I see no reason why, with all the

schools in your own city, you will need to go to

another to send your child there, for what reason?

There are those in your city, even some on your street,

enroll your child there, when school is over he walks

home, you will be able to monitor that child. Again,

don’t send your child to only an Islamic school

without the conventional one. Times have changed.

Your child must have both western and Islamic

education. When you give your child one without the

other, then you have cheated the child. When it

becomes very necessary to send your child away to

study then you must visit him often, talk with him,

discuss issues with him, listen to his problems and

solve the ones you can. We now have people who

think of ways to help Qu’ran learners. There is an

organization which helps these children with mats,

bathing and washing soap, kettles, buckets and so on.

May God reward them. There was nothing like this

before, no one ever thought of having an organization

which could help those children. The ideal thing to do

is to have learning center in every area. It could be a

room set aside for about thirty Qur’an learners drawn

from three Qur’an schools in the area. After their

Islamic studies they could be thought western

education in such a room. They could be fed with

what is available, given bathing and washing soap.

When they graduate another set could be put in the

same class. By doing this, you will find that, if this

time Alhaji so and so does it, another time another

Alhaji, would have seen the benefits and opened a

class in his house. This way you will find all the

Qur’an learners being taken off the streets by people

in our society. When this is made possible we will

have Qur’an learners who have both types of

education which is what is wanted. To acquire both,

which are available during our time.

TANIMU- Finally which advice will you give Qur’an learners?

PROFESSOR FATIMA- You Qur’an learners, first and foremost when

you are brought from one town to another to learn,

you should pay attention to your studies and learn.

The city you are taken to will be bigger than you own

city, the people will be wiser, and there will be more

problems. There will be things to be afraid of, things

that will easily deceive you. My advice is read, if you

have to beg, avoid places like the market, avoid going

to the park in Kuka because these are places where

children are in danger, both boys and girls, even if you

are Qur’an learner or not, as long as you are a child

who goes there often, there are very bad practices

there. Stay in your areas and beg there and learn. Obey

what your teachers tell you. When you are taken

anywhere to work, always be truthful in whatever you

do. Even what this organization is doing to you,

always be truthful. This includes presenting yourself

well wherever you go, as someone to be trusted, not

lazy; someone who will look after himself well. When

you do this, by God’s grace any bad thought about

you will not occur. No one will think of you as

different from other children.

TANIMU- You heard me with Professor Fatima Mohammed

Umar of the Department of Education Bayero

University Kano which is BUK. My name is Tanimu

Sa’id a Qur’an learner in Sharada Kano.

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NARRATOR

We have come to the end of the programme “Listen to Us” for this week. On

behalf of Ahmad Alhassan Dankurmi the Studio Manager, Muhammad Ibrahim

and Maimuna Muhammad Hayyatuddeen the to Radio Nigeria Kaduna and

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in persons and other related

offences that is NAPTIP Kano Zonal Office with support from UNICEF. For

those who have listened and want to comment you can text your messages to

these numbers08056844059 or 07035966957 or you can email us at

asauraremufrcn@yahoo.com. We look forward to hearing from you. My name

is Abdullahi Dahir

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