Fake college puts kids to hard labour

MARIAM JUMA in Hanang

A FAKE boarding college has been exposed in Diloda village, Hanang district, Manyara region that is subjecting children from various different regions to hard labour, and authorities have now moved to close it, also razing down its compartments.

Posing as an Islamic college, Madrasat Libadri, the institution owned by one Sadi Suleiman has drawn children from low-income families in Manyara and southern Lindi and Mtwara regions, with an empty pledge they would be sent to Lamu, Kenya for further studies after three years of study locally.

Led by Hanang District Commissioner Ms Sarah Msafiri, local militias and citizens put into fire the booths that the children, whose number is said to be more than 23, used to sleep.

They are made up of wood, mud and grass. Ms Msafiri said what Mr Suleiman had been doing contravened the laws of the land. The DC heard that the children were engaged in land cultivation most of the time -- instead of studying – and that they were also subjected to hours of fetching water from wells where they also reared cattle.

It’s further alleged that some of the allegedly male children had lost their lives while fetching water in wells in the recent past. Ms Msafiri said the so-called college wasn’t even properly registered, had neither a curriculum nor textbooks, adding that Mr Suleiman was ‘hiding’ under a religious umbrella to lure the hapless kids, for which the DC has vowed to take the owner of the ‘college’ to court.

“Diloda comrades … today we have witnessed Mr Sadi hiding behind religion for his own ends … he’s utilizing a ‘free’ workforce by engaging the children in forced labour … hence causing people to hate Islam.

It is not good to subject other people’s children like this, and still worse, without paying them a penny. How will parents of the children feel once they hear about this? We will arrest and take Mr Sadi to court,” the DC announced.

She directed village and Diloda ward leaderships to also investigate if Mr Suleiman owns the 60-acre land on which he was conducting his activities.

When the DC and her entourage arrived at the area, none of the children was found at the place, but when pressed, Mr Suleiman said he did not know where they had gone, raising the eyebrows of those present.

However, it soon transpired that he was not charging the kids any fees.