The existence of non-formal rehabilitation centers in northern Nigeria has always been viewed with suspicion because of their alleged crude treatment of orphan and deviant children as well as lack of regulatory supervision on the institutions.
It is widely believed that most of these correctional centers are being managed by tough religious scholars who impart knowledge and discipline through scorched-earth methods on orphans and/or social deviants that are being brought to them for correction by their
parents or guardians.
In many instances, the children are shackled by chains on arms and legs to restrict their movements while also being kept in dark and dingy rooms and with no proper healthcare.
As a result, many of the children brought to such centers end up becoming even more hardened rather than being transformed into better persons. The most disturbing aspect is when the children later develop hatred for their parents or guardians who brought them to the centre and also show resentment towards members of the society whom they felt had rejected them.
However, to turn the fortunes of these orphans and deviant children, an informal rehabilitation center in Bauchi state has introduced a more friendly approach to reform the children by giving them access to education, both Islamic and western in a more efficient and humane way.
Located at the heart of the state capital behind the popular Bauchi Central market along Yakubu Wanka Street, Malam Kawu Youth Rehabilitation Center is a household name for reforming hardened social deviants and orphans.
Transformed from a one-man philanthropic work started by Malam Abdullahi Tahir, popularly known as Malam Kawu in 2002, the center has attracted other interested individuals who are also contributing their quota in reforming youths into better citizens through reformation and imparting both western and Islamic education as well as vocational skills.
According to a former student of the centre, Ibrahim Salihu, 21, now a HND certificate holder from NIIT Ghana, he was taken to the center by his parents to be rehabilitated because of his drug addiction habit.
“I was taken to the centre by my parents about six months ago because I was engaged in drugs abuse. But I am now a changed person and I hope to rejoin my family,” he said.
He said that he was working at the ICT unit of Bauchi State government house before he developed the drug habit that forced his parents to admit him to the centre.
Another student, Bilyaminu Umar, 30, an indigene of Ningi local government was a staff of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) who was taken to the center about four months ago.
A graduate of software engineering from a Malaysian University, Umar lectured for a year at the Kaduna Polytechnic during his service year.
Umar was also a drug addict.
“I was taken to Malam Kawu Youth rehab centre by my parents because of my drug addiction and I also used to steal their properties. However, after my stay at the centre I was able to regain my senses and develop my skills,” he said.
Also, Muhammad Hamza, 13, an orphan who was brought to the center from Kano state to study Qur’an, has since memorized the holy book and enrolled into secondary school at the centre.
He said, “I have two other siblings, a boy and a girl and my brothers visit me to see how I am doing and I am enjoying my stay with the other people here”.
Another orphan,12-year old Kabiru Hassan, who was brought to the centre from Katsinawa village in Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi state to study Qur’an, has memorized a substantial part and enrolled into primary four.
Speaking to our correspondent, founder of the centre Malam Abdullahi Tahir said, “We started the center in my house with only 10 people in 2002. At the time, we only teach because we have not started rehabilitation of orphans and deviants. Later, some people started sending their wards to the centre. The number of students jacked up so much that my house cannot contain all of them, so some had to be taught outside and that attracted more people.
“At a later stage, we focused our attention on helping orphans and less privileged children to safeguard their future which in Islam is the responsibility of their immediate relations and the entire society.
“We later started receiving miscreants. They are mostly children or grown up young men who refused to go to school or learn a trade and took to drug abuse, theft, burglary, banditry and other social vices which threaten the whole society.”
Presently, the center is being run through the efforts of about 27 individuals who generate resources as well as solicit for support to sustain the facility.
Kawu said the center accommodates over 300 people comprising orphans and social deviants who were brought to the centre from different states including Kano, Yobe, Gombe, Plateau and Rivers among others.
“The center was established to help the society in our own little way. We ensure that both the miscreants and orphans are properly taken care of and given a combined knowledge of Islamic and western education. We are also teaching them various skills in order to make them self-reliant in future,” he said.
Kawu appealed for support to help sustain the programme through provision of more classrooms, a clinic for treating sick persons and a vehicle for transportation.
