From Hard Places to New Hope in Pakistan
Progress rarely happens all at once. It builds over hours, days, and months until meaningful change begins to appear across a community. At E4 Project, our programs are led by local leaders and shaped through participation at every level of the community. We serve with years in mind, not days. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight, and because our work is rooted in strong, long-term relationships with Christian leaders around the world, we are committed to moving at the pace that lasting change requires. Today, we want to share a few updates from programs in Pakistan that are helping us pursue our long-term goal of alleviating poverty through training and education, and food and livestock distribution.
“Poverty alleviation is a process, not an event.”
Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts
Ministry to enslaved Christians in brick kilns
Faisalabad region, Pakistan
Our team continues to faithfully visit brick kilns, bringing support and encouragement to individuals and families trapped in modern-day slavery, many of whom are forced to work seven days a week. During these visits, we provide food and essential supplies while also sharing the hope of the Gospel. While our ultimate goal is freedom, we are committed to walking this journey with care, ensuring that each step is thoughtful and sustainable, and that it leads to lasting change.
Each week, our team visits a kiln where orphaned children are being exploited, offering consistent care through food, clothing, and compassionate support. We also make monthly visits to a more remote kiln where entire families are trapped, delivering vital provisions and creating space for prayer, worship, and encouragement.
Advanced sewing training, jewelry making, and beauty courses
Youngsonabad, Pakistan
We recently completed our second six-month training program in partnership with Messiah Ministries in the village of Youngsonabad. Building on last year’s foundational sewing course, this advanced training equipped women with practical, income-generating skills such as dressmaking, professional makeup application, waxing, threading, and jewelry making.
The young women who participated come from low-income households and have had limited access to education and vocational opportunities. Through this training, they are gaining not only valuable skills to help support their families but also a renewed sense of confidence and dignity.
Last week, we celebrated the graduation of 22 women who successfully completed the program, a meaningful milestone for both the participants and the community. Looking ahead, our next training will begin in the nearby village of Martinpur next month. You can learn more about this upcoming program here.
Follow up on Livelihood Program (livestock)
Youngsonabad, Pakistan
We want to share an important update on our goat distribution program, as it offers valuable insight into how we pursue long-term impact. Over the past month, our team followed up with many of the families who received goats last year and identified a couple of key challenges within the program. While we are still increasing in goat numbers, some of the newborn goats (born to goats distributed) did not survive, and in many cases, women who received the goats were not given the authority or opportunity to access training in proper animal care. Our team spent time listening closely to these families and learning from their experiences so we can move forward more effectively. As a result, we are focusing on strengthening the program through additional training in goat rearing, expanding access to veterinary care and vaccines, and addressing cultural barriers that limit women’s ability to fully participate and benefit from the program.
While projects don’t always go exactly as planned, we see great value in these moments of learning. Honest feedback from our partners is only possible because of the trust we have built together, and it allows us to adapt in ways that lead to more sustainable, lasting impact. We are hopeful that these improvements will strengthen the program overall, both here in Youngsonabad and in other areas where we have livestock programs.
We also wanted to share that our founder, Eric Schmidt, and a board member and his wife were supposed to be in Pakistan this week. Our board voted to postpone the trip due to the outbreak of the war in Iran, and we are looking at new dates in late April or possibly in the fall. We cannot wait to update you from the ground on all that has been happening.
Thank you so much for partnering with us. Please consider a gift today to help us continue our work in underserved communities in Gabon, the DRC, and Pakistan.
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