‘Almajiri’ Inspired Documentary Released By Nigerian Filmmaker
A documentary chronicling the plight of children in theAlmajirisystem has been released by a Nigerian filmmaker,Adeyeye Olatokunbo.
TheAlmajiriis an Islamic educational system practiced in northern Nigeria popularly associated with young children who beg on the streets of the country’s northern states.
Almajiriis derived from an Arabic word rendered “Al-Muhajirun” in English transliteration, meaning a person who leaves home in search of Islamic knowledge.
Olatokunbo speaking in an interview with theNews Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Friday 6th September, said his discomfort with the state of the underage children led to his making the documentary.
The documentary titledBorn Unlucky: The Almajiri System follows the story of a real-lifeAlmajirichild who talks about his life and the conditions he lives in. It also features Islamic scholars and aMallamenlightening the public on the religious undertone of the system.