A Christian family of seven--father, mother, and five children--are essentially slaves because of debt from which they cannot get out from under by themselves. Sadly, this has been happening in Pakistan to poor Christians, especially, for many years.

Five years ago, this particular father went into debt for the equivalent of 700 U.S. dollars in order to pay for surgery which his wife seriously needed. Since then, this family has been living and working in what is called a "Brick Kline" village in a desert area on the outskirts of Faisalabad. Brick Kline villages are owned by private landowners. The people who live and work in these villages are in debt to the Brick Kline owners. They literally make bricks by hand in the desert heat with very primitive methods. They are paid extremely low and unjust wages for their labor. They often cannot provide food for themselves with these wages, much less try to save to eventually pay back their debt. So, they are stuck in a situation from which they cannot escape. They are debt slaves. The Brick Kline owners confiscate their ID's and important documents so they cannot leave or go elsewhere to find better employment. These people live in very primitive conditions (sometimes without plumbing; no heating or cooling; little-to-no furnishings). They are vulnerable as well, as, being Christian (and a small minority), they are highly discriminated against in the Pakistani culture. They are mostly overlooked and forgotten by the outside world.

This family has been stuck in slavery for five years. They want freedom, but because of their debt they cannot leave Brick Kline without paying it back. Yet, it is not possible for them to earn and save the debt amount. 700 dollars may not seem like much for us in America, but this is a lot of money in Pakistan. And for laborers making bricks in a Brick Kline village, it is unattainable. This father is also worried about the safety of his daughters, as they are receiving unwanted attention from "bad eyes."

This campaign is asking for 1,000 dollars. This is will provide everything needed to pay off their debt and get them established in a new life, away from the Brick Kline village. The breakdown: 700 debt payoff; 160 for first two months rent of a basic home; 40 for help moving; 100 to help with food for the first few weeks. 

The father of this family has skills to repair cycles and motorbikes. He learned these skills during childhood, and should be able to support his family this way once they are released from debt slavery. 

Please pray for freedom from slavery for this dear family and for all who are slaves today in Pakistan and throughout the world.