Uriah Brick Kiln Ministry
The brick kiln worker is trapped in the cycle of poverty, not educated and is exploited, they find themselves just surviving. They are forced to keep borrowing from their employers at a rate that keeps them in bondage.
Our welfare program help pay off their debt that entrap them, freeing them from perpetual debt slavery. These families and their children can be freed also through education that we provide for free to them in the hope of liberating them from brick kiln slavery in Pakistan
There are thousands of brick kilns in Pakistan, employing millions of people. It is estimated that 1% of the families employed in them are Muslim, and the rest are Christian or from other faiths.
The most common reason why they work in this industry is simply poverty from the lack of education. Nearly all are forced into working at a brick kiln after taking out a loan for life’s unexpected moments, from the brick kiln owners.
Why do they deserve help?
Those who work in the Brick Kiln industry often have no cold clean water to drink or good food to eat. Often working in temperatures between 42 and 47 degrees Celsius in the summer, and between10 and18 degrees Celsius in the winter, they frequently do not have appropriate clothing to work in, which cause various health conditions.
Generation after generation work at these kilns because the hold their debt has on them that is simply passed down. This bondage of loan debt is often taken out because of an illness, hospital fees, wedding expenses or anything else that life throws at them unexpectedly, and can never be repaid but is simply inherited by their children after death.
The normal pay for making bricks is 700 rupees ($3) per 1000 bricks and loan repayment instalments are as much as 50% of their wages. They are charged interest at a high rate and are never able to pay off their debt completely.
The brick kiln owners will even pay a commission to the family of workers if they manage to entice other families to work in this industry also. This entraps more people, and future generations after them, into brick kiln slavery.
They are further exploited by being forced into prostitution, organ removal, forced labour and forced marriage and are frequently they are threatened if they don’t comply.
God is good all the time and is with us in every situation. It is our experience that the major reason for poverty is a lack of education. They need money but where will it come from? By giving them an education, they can have a chance of a successful career and a better life.
The continual cycle of debt needs to be broken. Few people are taking notice of their educational needs and few try to find a solution to their problem of modern day slavery.
Can you help?
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- Church
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- Brick Kiln
