Freed from debt slavery!

On my (Arnout’s) first trip to Pakistan in 2021, freeing Ravi’s family was on the agenda. I wasn’t yet familiar with the phenomenon of debt slavery. Visiting the brick factory was already quite an undertaking, as the factories are located outside the city in rural areas.

When you arrive, you find a family all working togetherpreparing clay, scooping it into wheelbarrows, and forming bricks. With temperatures around 35°C, plus all the dust and heavy labor, it’s no easy task. Not to mention that the children aren’t in school…

The bricks need to dry in the sun. During the rainy season, that’s especially difficult. In peak summer, when temperatures can reach 50°C, most people start work very early in the morning and stop once it becomes too hot to continue. Contracts often state that workers aren’t allowed to work anywhere else during that time, or sometimes at all.

In 2021, Ravi’s family was the first we freed. After a tragic pregnancy and an overwhelming hospital bill, they had been forced to take out a loan from the brick factory owner.

Once freed, they could return to their own home, and with monthly support, the children were able to go back to school!