These are the stories behind the statistics — told, whenever possible, in the words of the families themselves.
This young man and his family spent approximately 12 years in bonded labor at a brick kiln after his father became seriously ill and the family borrowed money from the brick kiln owner to pay for his medical treatment. Sadly, his father, who practiced magic, passed away, leaving the family with a debt they could not afford to repay.
The young man worked at the brick kiln every day, earning only a very small income, approximately $50 per month, which was barely enough to provide food and basic necessities for his children and family, let alone repay the debt. Because they could not clear what they owed, the debt continued to be recorded against their account, keeping the family trapped in a cycle of poverty and bonded labor with poor housing and very little hope for their future.
During this difficult period, Pastor Shahid visited the family and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, and the young man accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Although his circumstances did not change immediately, his heart and his life began to change, and he continued praying and believing that God would one day provide a way for his family to become free.
After years of holding on to that faith, God provided help through generous donors who paid the family's remaining debt, allowing them to leave the brick kiln and begin a new life. Today, the young man has a government job, the family is living independently in better conditions, they are able to provide food and other necessities for themselves, and their financial situation and future are much more stable.
Their journey from grief, poverty, debt, and bonded labor to faith, freedom, employment, and independence is a powerful testimony of what they believe Jesus Christ has done in their lives, and they are deeply grateful to every donor who became part of their journey toward a new beginning.
The family from the story above — who lived at a brick kiln under a debt they could not pay — now has a home of their own. Their debt was settled, their father has steady work with the government, and their children are in school. Watch this story about their living conditions before and after being freed.
These are the first of many stories still to come.
