Brick Kiln Village in Pakistan

In a village in Pakistan, Jeremiah, a two-year-old boy, and his mother were on their way somewhere when they both fell. Jeremiah fell on the road and a nail pierced into his skull. The local partner working with Care Channels Pakistan got to know about it and immediately took him to the city for treatment. Care Channels helped to arrange for Jeremiah’s surgery. Thankfully, everything went well and he is back to his normal self.

Jeremiah and his mother live in the village of Moranwala which is a brick kiln area with over 40 brick factories where the poorest of the poor in Pakistan are found. Due to accumulated debts and the lack of education, generation after generation of families live as slaves to the brick kiln owners.

For the past 10 years, CCI have been endeavouring to break the poverty cycle of the villagers of Moranwala by providing medical, education and livelihood programmes.

CCI’s work started with medical missions, run by local medical volunteers. Families in need of medical attention, such as Jeremiah’s, receive help even if they cannot afford to pay the fees. 

By helping the informal school move to bigger premises, CCI provided the opportunity for more children to attend school. The student population has grown from 20 to about 140 students. CCI also supports the rent and the salaries of the teachers.

The children are taught reading, writing and arithmetic, giving them the skills they need to pursue a better life and lift their families out of poverty. Some students have excelled and passed national exams.

The cow dispersal and land lease programmes are livelihood opportunities offered to the community. The cow dispersal programme which started in 2014 provides income that families can use to improve their living conditions. They also use the income for life stage events such as weddings, where the cultural practice of dowry payments is deeply entrenched.

Land is leased out for the villagers to grow crops like rice, wheat and fodder for animals. 

CCI’s work in Moranwala seeks to help the community in the areas of health, education and livelihood so that they can be freed from the poverty trap and live life with dignity.