MY ACCOUNT
Pakistani Christians like Ahmed and his family are hard at work daily, shaping heavy clay into uniform bricks. They labor as the morning sunlight breaks over the sprawling brick kilns of Pakistan.
For more than two decades, this backbreaking, repetitive task has been Ahmed’s life. A relentless cycle of toil and debt has aged him, a hardship made even more difficult by tragedy. Below, we’ll examine the factors that led to Ahmed’s enslavement.
Pakistani Christians number around 3 million
Pakistani Christians like Ahmed are a part of the country’s small religious minority. According to the U.S. Department of State, the nation’s total population stands at 247.7 million. A recent census found that 96% of the population is Muslim.
Various religious minorities, including Christians and other groups, make up the remaining 4%. Some estimate that the Christian population in Pakistan officially comprises less than 1.27% of the populace. That figure equates to around 3,145,000 Christians.
Religious discrimination and Christian persecution in Pakistan
Believers comprise a small religious community that routinely faces systemic persecution in this Muslim-majority nation. This persecution can come in the form of threats, violence, and false blasphemy charges. Additionally, it can come in the form of discrimination.
Pakistani Christians are marginalized because of their faith. Christian Pakistanis are often denied access to education, good jobs, and a living wage. Such is the case with our brother in Christ, Ahmed.
Pakistani Christians like him are overrepresented in the 20,000 brutal brick kilns that dot the countryside. There, impoverished believers and entire families labor in oppressive conditions akin to modern slavery. They have few opportunities for employment and experience discriminatory treatment.
For Ahmed and his wife, both fervent believers, the descent into debt bondage began with a medical emergency. Unexpected family tragedy, as it does for so many impoverished Christians, began the debt cycle.
Desperate to cover sudden expenses, they took loans from the kiln owner. Thus, they unwittingly ensnared themselves in a web of exploitation.
“We thought we would pay off the debt in two years, but we could not,” Ahmed told GCR. “We have been in the kilns for 25 years now.” A combination of high interest rates and garnished wages has kept the loan’s principal high.
The family’s hardships have been compounded by tragedies. These include the untimely death of their daughter from cancer and the passing of Ahmed’s ailing elder brother. Additional loans taken out to cover medical treatments and funeral expenses have only tightened the chains of bondage.
Christian Pakistanis often languish in poor health
Sadly, many impoverished Pakistani Christians often languish in poor health. Why? Because they lack access to healthcare and work daily in hazardous conditions amid smoke, dust, and chemicals in the kilns.
Now, after months of battling his own failing health, Ahmed can barely muster the strength to work. Because of this, his young children have taken his place at the kilns, putting their futures on hold in the name of survival.
Yet amidst these challenges, the family’s Christian faith remains an unwavering source of hope and resilience. Ahmed, his wife, and children cling to God’s promises through daily prayer and Bible reading. They find solace in the Psalms and in the fellowship of their local Christian church community.
Their most fervent prayer has been for deliverance from the bondage of debt and the brutality of the brick kilns. “We just prayed to get free from debt and brick making,” Ahmed shared. “We’ve kept requesting this from God.”
Pakistan’s Christian population needs debt relief
Today, Ahmed’s longstanding prayers have been answered. GCR and our local partners, through your support, provided funds to pay off his family’s entire debt. This act liberated them from the clutches of the kiln after more than two decades!
We also gave the family a donkey and cart to launch their own small business. This provides a sustainable source of income beyond shaping clay bricks.
“I’m so thankful and happy to be free of debt,” Ahmed says. “We have freedom now.” Watch the video above to see the joy on Ahmed’s face as he celebrates his newfound freedom.
We are so grateful to play a significant role in Ahmed’s journey to freedom. However, countless other Christian families remain trapped in the kilns. They are hoping their fate will one day change, just like Ahmed’s.
You can partner with Global Christian Relief to supply debt relief for a suffering family in the kilns. Additionally, we will provide financial literacy training, small business stipends, and more.
A special prayer for Pakistani Christians
Heavenly Father, we thank you for Ahmed’s resilient faith and testimony. We praise You for his freedom from debt, and ask that You bless his new business. Please be with the thousands of Christian Pakistani families who are hurting in the brick kilns. Bless all those suffering from ailments, trauma, and hopelessness.
Provide them comfort and mercy. Strengthen their faith in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Vulnerable Pakistani Christians need your help to escape modern slavery. Global Christian Relief has identified 50 deserving families just like Ahmed’s. They are waiting for freedom from the brick kilns. Many have labored in dangerous conditions for years over debts of just $1,000 or less.
Your compassionate gift can give them a new lease on life. Please prayerfully consider a life-changing donation today to provide debt relief and more.
