"I was once one of them."
Umar Hussaini was seven years old when he was taken away from his family and sent far from home to live and study within the almajiri system in northern Nigeria.
He had already started primary school in his hometown, but his education was interrupted when an uncle removed him from public school. Umar remembers his mother crying when he had to leave. She knew that many children sent away in this way never returned to their families.
Three Years Away From Home
Umar was transported more than eight hours away from home. He carried only two pairs of clothes and a meal bowl. His days centered on Qur'anic study, while he and the other boys went from house to house begging for food and other necessities.
For three years, his mother did not know where he was or whether he was safe. She never stopped worrying about her first-born son. Eventually, Umar's maternal uncle searched for him, found him and brought him home.
Umar was ten years old when he was reunited with his family. The reunion with his mother was painfully short: only three months later, she died during childbirth.
Historic Umar family photo. In the original caption, Umar's mother is on the left and baby Umar is pictured with his father's second wife on the right.
Education Changed His Life
After returning home, Umar was able to start again in public school. He worked different jobs to help pay for school fees and meals and continued his education through his own determination and the support his family could provide.
He later became a teacher. His childhood experiences never left him. Umar remembered the children he had known during his years as an almajiri and kept asking why he had been given opportunities that so many others never received.
"I Was Once One of Them."
Years later, while speaking about vulnerable children and the almajiri system, Umar shared something deeply personal: "I was once one of them."
That experience became part of his commitment to children. Umar founded a community school, advocates for children's rights and has dedicated his work to helping vulnerable children gain access to education, protection and a better future.
Today, his story is closely connected to the work of Sonja Bertram's Children Foundation: helping children stay in school and giving them the support and opportunities every child deserves.
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