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Brighter Futures Beyond the Kiln
Introduction: E4 recently welcomed a new intern, Aroob Bashart, who joins our team from Faisalabad, Pakistan. Drawing from her experience working with vulnerable families in brick kiln communities, she shaped the foundation of our new program aimed at supporting children trapped in bonded labor. Her insights and dedication have contributed to a compassionate and practical approach for E4 to start addressing these children's urgent needs.
Background: Many children in Pakistan suffer under the weight of modern-day slavery, particularly in the country’s brick kiln industry. Many of these children were born into bondage because their parents, desperate and without options, took loans from brick kiln owners. In exchange, families are forced to work in the kilns, shaping and carrying heavy bricks under the scorching sun (summer months reaching 113°F). When parents are unable to repay their debts, the burden passes to their children, trapping them in a cycle of generational slavery. Some of the children at this factory work alongside their parents every day, while others are orphaned and stuck in this endless cycle of forced labor and poverty.
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Born Into Bondage: A Child's Cry for Freedom
For children working at brick kilns in Punjab, a survey was conducted by the Punjab Labour Department. According to the latest figures of the survey, the department identified 10,347 brick kilns in Punjab and a total of 126,779 children were seen at these sites.
Child labour in Pakistan
What makes this even more devastating is that the workers are rarely, if ever, told how much they still owe. The debt becomes a moving target, manipulated by the owners, keeping families in permanent servitude. This practice is illegal under Pakistani law, but it continues unchecked in many rural areas, where oversight is limited and accountability is rare.
Current: These children should be in school, playing, and dreaming about the future, not working all day, in harsh conditions. But even in this hazardous and challenging environment, the children still dream, play, and smile. They dream of being teachers, doctors, cricket players, and soldiers. Aroob and her small family feed and clothe the children all while teaching them about Jesus. Aroob will continue to learn how to best support these children, enabling us to build on this initial approach and create lasting change in this community.
“Even in ashes, there is a spark. We dream of freedom, even as we bake the bricks for others' homes.”
Pakistani brick kiln laborer (from a 2014 BBC feature)
Funds raised over the next four months will cover the expenses outlined below. Then we hope to initiate phase two of the program, providing more for the children regarding shelter, food, and clothing, and determining how we can move them toward freedom. The goal is that the research we do during this time while meeting the kids’ urgent needs, will allow us to form the next phase. We know from organizations like International Justice Mission that you cannot just pay for their freedom and move on for many reasons (We will publish a blog post about these reasons shortly). We will connect with other organizations during this time to help us establish the next steps.
By standing with these children, we reflect the heart of the Gospel message by sharing about our God, who sets the captives free.
Cost: $4,650 for phase 1
We are raising funds to jumpstart this program and cover costs for the next four months. The funds will cover:
Funds raised over the next four months will cover phase one expenses listed above. After that, we’ll hopefully begin phase two— expanding more sustainable support for the children to provide better shelter and continue with food and supply distributions. We will also work toward long-term freedom. This phase will include research to shape our next steps and connecting with other NGOs. As organizations like the International Justice Mission have shown, simply paying for freedom isn’t enough. We’ll collaborate with other nonprofits, especially those already working to free slaves in Pakistan, to guide our approach. In phase three, we aim to free children and families and support them through micro loans, education, job opportunities, and legal aid. These are ambitious goals, and we pray for God’s guidance and that He would connect us to organizations already doing this work in Pakistan.
An Existing Foundation
This gallery captures glimpses of the work E4 is already a part of at a brick kiln factory in Faisalabad, Pakistan, where children and families live and labor under harsh conditions. Aroob and her family visit these children regularly, bringing food, offering encouragement, and sharing the hope of the Gospel. These images reflect the challenges they face, but also the joy, dignity, and light they possess as children of God, created in His image.
