Senegal's digital App fails to reduce child begging

A digital application to discourage the phenomenon of children forced to beg on the street by their masters has been released in Senegal.

Cross Dakar city was launched last year in France and although it has been available in Apple and Android versions, its designer Ousseynou Beye does not seem satisfied with the results obtained so far.

The number of street children in Senegal continues to increase giving a feeling of a poorly accomplished mission by the inventor.

Interesting videogame CrossDakarCity raising awareness on traffic related dangers Talibes (child beggars) face in Senegal

— Aisha Dabo™ (mashanubian) April 11, 2016

“In normal conditions, structures expected to welcome children in Koranic schools can not do things the way they are suppose to be done because some Koranic school owners have authentic structures while others do not. The fake Koranic masters who are homeless and move from one town to the other receive children and use them for begging so as to find resources to support their needs, “ Olivier Kassoka, a child protection specialist said.

Human rights organisations in Senegal have been voicing their concerns about about the fate of kids exploited as beggars who are sometimes victims of sexual abuse.

Despite a 2005 law prohibiting begging by force in Senegal – with prison term ranging from two to five years – the reality on the ground seems to be different.

AFP