Exhibitions 2025

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Talibé: Modern-Day Slaves

Mario Cruz

Talibé is an Arabic term for disciple.

Throughout Senegal, some children are subjected to a troubling practice under the guise of education. While many Quranic schools, known as Daaras, genuinely focus on teaching the Quran and nurturing students, there are cases where these institutions exploit children. In such instances, what tries to pass as education is, in reality, a way of business for those abusing their role as religious guardians, known as Marabouts. What should be a school is, sometimes, a place of hardship and even torture.

In these exploitative cases, children between the ages of 5 and 15 are forced to spend more than eight hours a day begging in the streets for money, rice, and sugar. The rest of their time is spent learning the Quran while the Marabout collects their daily earnings. These vulnerable children often endure harsh conditions that deny them the care and education they deserve.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, the number of Talibés subjected to forced begging is increasing, with more than 30,000 boys affected in the Dakar region alone. Parents may send their children to study the Quran because they cannot afford traditional education or believe a Daara offers a valuable religious education. However, child trafficking has also played a significant role in the rising numbers. While most Talibés are Senegalese, children from neighbouring countries such as Guinea-Bissau are increasingly becoming part of this phenomenon.

In 2005, Senegal passed a law prohibiting forced begging and trafficking, but enforcement has been disappointing. This failure has allowed abusers to continue exploiting children with little fear of legal consequences.

Talibé: Modern-Day Slaves illuminates this urgent issue, exposing the harsh realities faced by thousands of children and calling for justice and reform. This powerful series, awarded by World Press Photo and POYi, challenges us to confront exploitation and protect the most vulnerable.

TALIBES MODERN DAY SLAVES

The largest module of the exhibition that shows the daily life of the Talibes in Senegal.

TALIBES MODERN DAY SLAVES - BLACKBOX 1

This blackbox allows the visitor to see the same photograph with different exposures in order to give the feeling of when we enter a dark place and our vision adapts and we begin to see better. This idea is present in the book Talibes Modern Day Slaves, in which the reader sees the photograph appearing as he passes the pages.

TALIBES MODERN DAY SLAVES - BLACKBOX 2

This blackbox allows the visitor to see the photograph that shows a group of runaway talibes, establishing a parallel with the other blackbox that shows a group of talibes sleeping inside a daara where they are imprisoned.