EVERY CHILD DESERVES A FIRST START IN LIFE

ALMAJIRI CHILD RIGHTS

About Us

Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI) is a national organization that came into existence in the year 2015 and was officially registered as a Non-Profit organization in 2018. Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI) is a non- governmental and non- religious organization whose aim is to inspire policy actions that will address the social exclusion and out-of-school crisis involving over 10 million children called Almajiri in Northern Nigeria.

About Us

Vision:

Advancing the rights of Almajiri children to education and to create a social mobility that will lift millions of families out of poverty.

Mission:

To inspire policy change that will bring about education and social inclusion of Almajiri children.

What we do

Humanitarian Relief

As part of our intervention and commitment towards transforming the Almajiri
Educational System, we continuously provide for the children, with the help of our
partner, immediate relief that cuts across shelter, nutrition, clothing, health, personal
hygiene, and WASH.

ALMACARE Program

Almacare is one of our sustainable and innovative solutions designed to tackle the
inaccessibility of healthcare facilities and services by the Almajiri children. Over
150,000 almajiri children are estimated to benefit from this program.

Almajiri Child Rights Day

Almajiri Child Rights Day is a citizen-led advocacy and accountability program
designed to trigger and sustain debates and conversations around the Almajiri
phenomenon.

Provision of Shelter

Deplorable living conditions with poor hygiene and sanitation levels. Our work is also focused on changing this condition.

Attitudinal Change

Not only focused on transforming the Almajiri Educational System, but our collective
efforts also focused on the mindset change and transformation of the parents who
send their children to the school, the Almajiri school administrators, and the
community.

Nutrition

Daily life characterized by having to beg for food and a lack of access to clean water. This, we hope to change with our work.

ALMAJIRI AND THE SDGs

No Poverty

No Poverty: An estimated 385 million children worldwide live in extreme poverty, this includes
Almajiri and street children.

Zero Hunger

Zero Hunger:
Almajiri and street children are particularly vulnerable to hunger with an offshoot of
malnutrition being a result of poor diets.

Good Health and Well-being

Good Health and Well-being:
The lack of access to healthcare and proper immunization poses a threat to preventing
and containing curable diseases Almajiri and street children may encounter causing their
development to become stunted.

Digital Education

Digital Education:
Formal education remains a far cry for many Almajiri children, as they account for
the majority of Nigeria's

13.2 million out-of-school children.

Clean Water and Sanitation

Clean Water and Sanitation (6):
With many Almajiri and street children living in deplorable environments, access to clean
water and sanitation is a luxury with many of them.

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Decent Work and Economic Growth (8):
Children who are products of the Almajiri system are particularly liable to take on
indecent, illegal and (or) hazardous menial jobs because of the lack of safer income
generating opportunities for them.

Reduced Inequalities

Reduced Inequalities (10):
While Almajiri and street children constitute a large portion of the country’s population,
they are rarely taken into account by law and policy makers making them prone to
discrimination and marginalization.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (16):
For many Almajiri and street children, becoming victims of violence, abuse and
exploitation are commonplace occurrences.

Provision of Shelter

Deplorable living conditions with poor hygiene and sanitation levels. Our work is also focused on changing this condition.

Provision of Healthcare

Little or no access to basic healthcare with critical treatment is often unavailable. Our advocacy is geared towards changing this.

Nutrition

Daily life characterized by having to beg for food and a lack of access to clean water. This, we hope to change with our work.

Our Numbers that speak

We have numbers that push us to give in our best and make sure that we break our own records. We are happy to be growing and helping more day by day.

0 +

Members Worldwide

0 +

Children Helped

0 +

Almajiri school reached

0 T

Food Provided

Who The Almajiri Children Are

Almajiri Children: “Migrant students” sent from home to learn islamic teachings. This follows the Almajiri system of education, for children often below the age of 10, which is a decades-long practice particularly predominant in Northern Nigeria.

The nature of their journeys often places them in tutelage of scholars, far far away from home. However, these scholars often lack the capacity to fully support the children and make adequate provisions for their welfare. As a result of the level of negligence present within this system, the basic rights of these children are often abused with widespread exploitation – becoming a deeply-rooted systematic nightmare for the Almajiri children.