Child mobility & fosterage
Senegalese children are often relocated, especially in rural areas. Children under the age 18 move away from the home for a variety of reasons:
Fathers are typically responsible for the decision-making concerning the relocation of a child, deciding around 60% of child relocation cases (Tovo 34). There is rarely a joint decision process that includes the child. Even older children tend not to have a say in their relocation, which illustrates the Senegalese view concerning a child's right to having an opinion.
In Western Africa, child fosterage is common, especially in situations where the mother has died. The death of a parent can be a significant shock to any household. Because women are typically scripted to be the caretaker in Senegalese culture, a mother's death can put her children in an extremely vulnerable situation. According to one study, about 18-45 percent of maternal orphans are relocated, even though the father is still alive (36). Boys are more likely to stay with their fathers, where as about 80% of relocated maternal orphans are girls (37). The majority of these children will go to live with other family members. The practice of child fosterage in Senegal is an important social safety net that helps to make sure that children receive food and shelter. The extended family also provides children with additional social interaction, necessary for learning how to function in Senegalese culture, something that a single working parent cannot always provide.
On the other hand, one negative aspect of fosterage is that children are less likely to attend to school. The extra child or children within the hosting family or extended family creates an additional financial burden. Children are sometimes expected to make up for this burden either by working outside of the home or by contributing more to household chores. This often leaves less time for studying and schooling. Furthermore, sometimes the fostering family cannot afford to send the child to school.
- Quranic school
- Marriage (child marriage is still a practice in rural Senegal)
- Formal studies
- Other social/familial reasons
Fathers are typically responsible for the decision-making concerning the relocation of a child, deciding around 60% of child relocation cases (Tovo 34). There is rarely a joint decision process that includes the child. Even older children tend not to have a say in their relocation, which illustrates the Senegalese view concerning a child's right to having an opinion.
In Western Africa, child fosterage is common, especially in situations where the mother has died. The death of a parent can be a significant shock to any household. Because women are typically scripted to be the caretaker in Senegalese culture, a mother's death can put her children in an extremely vulnerable situation. According to one study, about 18-45 percent of maternal orphans are relocated, even though the father is still alive (36). Boys are more likely to stay with their fathers, where as about 80% of relocated maternal orphans are girls (37). The majority of these children will go to live with other family members. The practice of child fosterage in Senegal is an important social safety net that helps to make sure that children receive food and shelter. The extended family also provides children with additional social interaction, necessary for learning how to function in Senegalese culture, something that a single working parent cannot always provide.
On the other hand, one negative aspect of fosterage is that children are less likely to attend to school. The extra child or children within the hosting family or extended family creates an additional financial burden. Children are sometimes expected to make up for this burden either by working outside of the home or by contributing more to household chores. This often leaves less time for studying and schooling. Furthermore, sometimes the fostering family cannot afford to send the child to school.
Tovo, Maurizia, and Junko Saito. "Child Mobility and Rural Vulnerability in Senegal."Africa Knowledge Lab. World Bank, June 2010. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.