It is estimated that there are 46 million slaves in our world today across 167 countries.  Modern slavery encompasses forced labour and sexual exploitation and comprises not only ‘ownership’ but also forced marriages, government–imposed labour, and human trafficking.

It is easy to read statistics and become numb to the conditions they describe but when you ae confronted by the reality, you get an entirely different perspective.

It was 46 degrees when I arrived at a brick factory in northern Pakistan. The heat was oppressive but what I witnessed was even more so. Young children, some as young as four, were helping their parents make bricks by hand. The work continued until the daily quota of 1200 bricks was met. To achieve this, they would have to work 12 to 14 hours a day – six days a week and in all conditions. For this, they were paid the sum of 700 Pakistani rupees (£2) per day out of which they had to pay for housing, food clothing and medical bills.  

Because of the conditions in which these poor people worked, medical bills were incredibly expensive, meaning that they had to borrow money from the brick factory owners who charged exorbitant interest rates. These debts are never able to be paid off and are passed on to the next generation. In effect, these people are slaves, held in the cruellest form of financial bondage. They cannot leave. They cannot better themselves.

If the working conditions were bad, the living conditions were worse. Each house, provided by the factory owners was just one room. Some had rope beds, others had none. A few had plastic chairs but all housed swarms of flies. There were no bathrooms of any kind and there was just one water pump, with no discrete washing facilities for women and young girls, to accommodate 20 families.

But, amidst the horror, the filth, the exploitation and the shame, there was hope. Through one of our partners, some of the children of the factories can go to school with the prospect of a brighter future for them and their families. I visited this school where the children are brought by bus, given an education and proper meals.

If that were not in itself, a cause for joy, two house churches have been planted at this factory. I was invited to share the Word of God at a worship service at each one. At first, I was taken aback as I had no idea what to say to people who had nothing when I have so much. But even though I entered the homes with trepidation, I was challenged and inspired by the joy in their praise, the trust in their prayers and the warmth of their welcome. Although they were slaves, in a financial sense, they had found a freedom that riches and position cannot buy. They had found a freedom in Christ, the forgiveness of their sin and a hope of eternal glory. All paid for by the blood of Christ shed on the cross. In this, we were able to rejoice together!

Support outreach to the brick factories of Pakistan through our Asian Workers Fund.