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Brick Kiln Ministry
Background: Many families in Pakistan suffer under the weight of modern-day slavery, particularly in the country’s brick kiln industry. An estimated 3.5 to 4 million people work in brick manufacturing, where the debt advance system (peshgi) is most deeply entrenched. Many of the children are 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 (temperatures reach 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. Approximately 50-60% of enslaved workers are Christians, even though they only make up 1-2% of the population
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.
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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
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. Our team feeds and clothes the children, all while teaching them about Jesus. They spend time with families while leading Bible teaching and worship. They provide monthly food staples to help ensure families suffering from malnutrition have enough nutritious food.
Funds raised in 2026 will cover the expenses outlined below. Then we hope to initiate phase two of the program, providing more shelter for the children 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 shape 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 connect with other organizations during this time to help us establish the next steps.
Funds raised in 2026 will cover the expenses outlined below for phase one.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. - Galatians 6:9-10
Cost: $16,000 for the current 2026 program
We are raising funds for 2026 for our ongoing program. The funds will cover:
Phase two will consist of education for the kiln workers and the surrounding communities about this predatory loan practice and their legal rights. We also want to create a community bank/loan fund through the local Christian church for families both in and outside of the kilns we serve. With these initiatives together, we believe we can reduce the number of people in modern-day slavery within the kilns we work in. If our team, alongside the local church, can track what the families in the kilns owe and provide a way to prevent them from taking out additional loans from the kiln owners, we believe they can get closer to their freedom. And during this time, we want to provide literacy training, medical clinics, and care for the people trapped in the kilns. These are very large goals, but we know that all things are possible through our Lord and Savior.
By standing with these families and their children, we reflect the heart of the Gospel message by sharing about our God, who sets the captives free.
Cost: $22,000 for the education campaign and loan program starting in early 2027
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.
