More than two million Pakistanis work in the country’s 20,000 brick kilns. Often, these workers are minorities—Christians, Hindus or lower-caste Muslims—who are limited in finding decent work. And like Danish, many of these workers are bonded slaves, individuals who had to take out loans offered by kiln owners to pay off urgent expenses. But the loans are a method to keep the workers employed in the kilns indefinitely. Workers are paid very little, and the majority of what they earn is given to pay off their loan. Barely any is left to cover other expenses.
The need is great for the people of the kilns, especially when it comes to healthcare. Many simply cannot afford to visit a doctor. Illnesses that can be easily dealt with go untreated, leading to worse sicknesses and a poor quality of life. However, through your generous gifts, Global Christian Relief and a local partner offer free medical care to kiln workers.
Danish says, “My work in the mud had caused intense itching all over my body, while my children were suffering from fever and upper respiratory tract infections. Unfortunately, our financial constraints prevented us from seeking medical assistance at private healthcare facilities.” Then GCR’s free mobile medical clinic arrived.
Workers like Danish were able to receive immediate healthcare with no cost to them: “I was able to see a doctor,” he says. “And they generously supplied us with free medication. As a result, both my children and I have made a complete recovery from our illnesses.”
Mobile medical clinics have been dispatched to six different kilns in Pakistan. Over the past nine months, over 13,000 individuals received free medical care, including eyecare treatment, skin care, basic checkups and more. The technicians who run the mobile medical clinics have also held classes on how to prevent certain diseases. Look at the images below to see the mobile medical clinic at work.
