Talibés who have run away from their Quranic schools stand on the banks of the Senegal River, in northern Senegal.
© 2015 Mario Cruz
A young talibé boy studies the Quran, bound by chains in a Quranic school in the city of Touba, Senegal, in May 2015. In this school, the youngest talibés are shackled by their ankles to prevent them from running away. The children may remain chained for days, weeks, or months until they gain the teacher’s trust. Their guardian explained, “When I release them, I give them the freedom to beg like the rest of the talibés.”
© 2015 Mario Cruz
A talibé checks on other talibés sleeping in a street of Saint-Louis, Senegal, in May 2015. Many talibé children who run away from abusive Quranic schools sleep on the streets in groups to protect themselves.
© 2015 Mario Cruz
Talibés sleep together inside a traditional Quranic school in Saint-Louis, Senegal, in May 2015. The daara, lodging over 30 children, lacks clean water and has limited electricity. The children sleep on the concrete floor without protection from malaria-carrying mosquitos.
© 2015 Mario Cruz