Meet Asif
Asif and his brother serve in our Torah Center in Pakistan, teaching children the foundational truths of the Torah along with the fullness of Scripture.
He requires monthly support to cover utilities, rent, and essential supplies for this modest facility. Asif also participates in our online Shabbat gathering, so if you would like to connect with him, we invite you to join us.
Bricks Kiln Outreach Report
Project Collaboration: The Way Fellowship USA (ED Doss) and Torah Fellowship of Pakistan (Asif Joseph)
Project Purpose
This is a joint project for Bricks Kiln Child Labour & Women Outreach Torah Teaching and humanitarian support (food, clothes, and daily necessities). It aims to provide spiritual guidance, basic education, and empowerment to workers—especially children and women—trapped in bonded labor within Pakistan’s brick kiln industry.
Background
In Pakistan, particularly Punjab province, many Believers’ families are trapped in bonded labor—a form of modern-day slavery. Despite legal prohibitions, this practice remains widespread.
The Mechanism of Bonded Labor
Impoverished and often illiterate, workers borrow money from kiln owners for emergencies like medical expenses or weddings. These loans, charged with exorbitant interest, become impossible to repay. Whole families, including children, are forced to work under extreme conditions, sometimes for generations.
Disproportionate Impact on Believers’
- Believers’ make up less than 2% of Pakistan’s population.
- In some regions, they are the majority of kiln laborers.
- They face additional discrimination, abuse, and violence.
Legal Framework and Enforcement Challenges
- The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1992 banned bonded labor.
- The 2023 Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance exists.
- Weak enforcement due to corruption and resistance from kiln owners.
Forced and Bonded Labor in Brick Kilns
1. What Is Bonded Labor?
Bonded labor (debt bondage) forces individuals to work to repay a loan. In brick kilns, small loans (“peshgi”) turn into generational debt, especially for minorities like Believers’.
2. Believers’ Disproportionately Affected
- Minority Status: Believers’ are 1.3–1.6% of the population but are disproportionately found in bonded labor.
- Marginalization: Limited access to education, legal protection, and employment alternatives.
- Discrimination: Denied fair wages; worse working conditions than Muslim laborers.
3. Working Conditions
- 12–18 hour workdays in extreme heat with minimal rest.
- Children work alongside adults, continuing the poverty cycle.
- Wages often unpaid or fall below minimum wage due to inflated debt.
- Common abuse: physical, psychological, and sexual (especially affecting women and girls).
Legal and Human Rights Situation
1. Pakistan’s Laws
- The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992 bans bonded labor.
- Implementation is weak; kiln owners bribe police and officials.
2. Voices from the Kilns
- Many laborers are born into bonded labor.
- Escape is rare due to fear of retaliation.
- Lack of ID documents limits access to education and support programs.
Hope and Change
- Some initiatives offer micro-loans, vocational training, and literacy programs.
- Occasional court-ordered raids have freed families.
- International advocacy has pushed for modest reforms, though change is slow.
Want to help? For more information on donation channels, reports, or individual case studies, please contact the project coordinators directly.
