Check out the reports of Different organizations regarding this issue
The exploitation of brick kiln workers in Pakistan has been extensively documented by international organizations and human rights groups, shedding light on the systemic challenges and human rights violations they endure. Here are some key reports and articles addressing this critical issue:
- Solidarity Center Report
This comprehensive study examines the forced labor conditions in Pakistan’s brick kilns, exposing the systemic exploitation and hardships faced by workers.
Read the report - International Labour Organization (ILO) Study               The ILO’s report, Unfree Labour in Pakistan: Work, Debt and Bondage in Brick Kilns, provides an in-depth analysis of the debt bondage system that traps workers, emphasizing the urgent need for effective policy interventions.
Read the report - Human Rights Watch Report
This report highlights the inadequacies in enforcing laws like the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act of 1992. Despite being consistent with international laws aimed at eradicating bonded labor, weak enforcement allows the practice to persist.
Read the report - All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities Report
Titled Exploitation of Bonded Brick Kiln Labourers in Pakistan: The Unseen Modern-Day Slavery, this 2024 report provides a detailed examination of the exploitation faced by kiln laborers and calls for immediate action to address these injustices.
Read the report - UCA News Article
The article, Pakistan’s kiln workers are trapped in modern-day slavery, discusses the challenges faced by these laborers and the systemic issues that perpetuate their exploitation.
Read the article
Kiln Ministry
What it is like to be a Kiln worker
Kiln Work in Pakistan and India: A Modern Form of Slavery
Brick kiln work in Pakistan and India is a grueling labor system that primarily employs impoverished families. These workers, often from marginalized communities, are trapped in a cycle of debt bondage—a modern form of slavery. The system begins when families borrow small amounts of money from kiln owners, often to cover basic needs like food or medical expenses. In return, they are forced to work in the kilns, making bricks under harsh conditions for meager wages that barely cover the interest on their loans, let alone the principal.
Entire families, including children, work long hours in extreme heat, shaping and stacking bricks by hand. With no access to education or healthcare, these families remain bound to the kilns for generations. The oppressive system strips them of their freedom, dignity, and the opportunity to improve their circumstances.
This practice is recognized globally as a form of modern slavery, where individuals are exploited through debt, coercion, and lack of alternatives. Despite legal frameworks against bonded labor, enforcement is weak, allowing the practice to persist.
Efforts to combat this issue focus on breaking the cycle of generational bondage by providing education, vocational training, and social support to kiln workers and their children. Empowering future generations through education is a critical step in ending this inhumane system and restoring dignity and freedom to these communities.
Additional Reports from BBC, Pulitzer Center and Al-Jazeera
BBC News: “The hardships of life as a brick kiln worker in Pakistan” Link: Watch the video on BBC News
Pulitzer Center: “‘Bonded by Brick’: The Reality of Modern-Day Slavery in Pakistan” Link: Read the report on Pulitzer Center
Al Jazeera: “The spiraling debt trapping Pakistan’s brick kiln workers” Link: Read the article on Al Jazeera
Our Solution
FGD's Kiln Ministry: Breaking the Chains of Generational Bondage
At FGD, we believe that settling debts to grant immediate freedom from kiln labor only perpetuates the cycle of exploitation. This bitter truth stems from our own experiences, where debt relief often led to the same families falling back into bondage, relying on others to free them again. Ruthless kiln owners exploit this system, knowing someone will intervene to clear debts eventually.
Currently, FGD is working with six kiln communities, bringing hope and relief to families burdened by modern-day slavery. Rather than focusing solely on immediate debt repayment, we invest in a long-term, sustainable solution: educating their children to break the generational cycle of bondage.
Our Approach
FGD prioritizes education, offering quality schooling to children who would otherwise inherit a life of kiln labor. By equipping them with knowledge and skills, we empower the next generation to rise above their circumstances and pursue a brighter, self-reliant future.
In addition to education, we provide healthcare and spiritual support, fostering resilient communities rooted in dignity, faith, and hope.
Future Plans
FGD aims to expand its work to more kiln communities, ensuring every child has access to education and opportunities for growth. We plan to establish additional schools, vocational training programs, and comprehensive community support networks tailored to their holistic needs.
By planting seeds of hope through education today, FGD is paving the way for a future free from the chains of generational slavery—a future where children can thrive, communities can flourish, and faith and dignity are restored.
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