Child begging, an alarming phenomenon

Passing through Mohammed V Avenue in Fez is today an obstacle course. Alongside street vendors and "Ferracha" (informal traders), child beggars, alone or with their parents, are the main occupants of the pavements and public roads. Using all means of persuasion to obtain the favour of charitable souls, they cling to the clothes of passers-by, even blocking their path to achieve their ends. This situation is the same almost everywhere in the city. An alarming observation that constitutes a source of concern for the city's inhabitants. "Unfortunately, we have to face scenes that break our hearts without respite. In addition to infants lying on the ground and exposed to the sun and microbes, in the company of heartless women, many children spend their days on the street begging when they should be at school or at home, sheltered from the dangers that await them," says Saïda, a bank employe…