Children Should NOT be Slaves

THE STATS

According to a report issued by The Global Slavery Index , Pakistan has an estimated 2,058,200 people who are trapped in slavery of one form or another. That equals approximately 1.13% of the entire population of Pakistan, or more than 1 out of every 100 people in Pakistan is a slave.

Slaves are used in the production of : food, bricks, carpets, coal, cotton, rice, sugar, and wheat, while the most prevalent form of slavery, bonded labor, is mainly found in the brick making, agriculture, and carpet weaving industries. Although official statistics are not available, it is estimated that the brick kiln industry employs around 4.5 million people country wide, and it is believed that the majority of the brick kiln workers in the Punjab Province are, in fact, bonded laborers.

BONDED LABOR

It is believed that bonded labor is the most widespread form of slavery in the world. Yet it remains the least understood form of slavery in the world. A person becomes a bonded laborer when their labor is demanded as a means of repayment for a loan. The person is then tricked or trapped into working for very little or no pay. The fair market value for the work performed becomes exceedingly greater than the original sum of money borrowed. More often than not, the debts are passed onto the next generations. For many, the children born to the slave become slaves themselves, working on repaying the family debt.

In the Pakistani brick industry, a slave may make only $1 to $2 dollars a day.  After paying their master forced rent, and buying an insufficient amount of food, there is not much left to pay back a loan.  A $500 loan can put a family into slavery for ten years or more, as interest accrues and the other issues of life occur.

I have a dear friend in Pakistan who is a school teacher.

“Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”” (2 Corinthians 8:13–15, NLT)

May the LORD richly bless you with His presence and His peace as you open your hearts to help the least of these, our brothers and sisters.

for more information go to :  Set Them Free 
or:  Brickmaker Child Blessing

We have a new domain:  http://childrenshouldnotbeslaves.org/

to see pictures of our Christmas 2014 campaign, go to: brickmaker children Christmas 2014