Free a Widow and Her Five Children from Debt

Free a Widow and Her Five Children from Debt

Reporting Period: July 2026
Project Goal: $5,000
Funds Raised: $1,101
Donations Received: 4
Remaining Funding Need: $3,899

A Family Still Waiting for Freedom

Shazia is a widow caring for her five children in a vulnerable brick-kiln community in Pakistan. After the death of her husband, the family was left with a significant debt connected to their livelihood at the brick kiln.

Today, Shazia continues to work under extremely difficult circumstances to provide for her children. Her family remains trapped in debt, making it very difficult for them to make independent decisions about their work, education, and future.

The debt is approximately $5,000, which is far beyond what Shazia could realistically repay through her current income.

Monthly Food Support

While the family remains in debt, Moses Welfare Foundation provides Shazia and her children with monthly ration support to help them meet their basic food needs.

This assistance is important because Shazia's limited income is already stretched by the needs of five children. Regular food support helps reduce some of the immediate pressure on the household while we continue seeking resources to address the larger debt problem.

Our intention is not to create long-term dependency. The immediate food assistance is a protective measure while we work toward the project's main objective: helping the family achieve freedom from debt and supporting the mother toward a more sustainable livelihood.

The Children's Education Is at Risk

One of the most painful consequences of the family's debt is its effect on the children.

Because the family is still indebted, the children are currently unable to attend school normally. The family's situation at the brick kiln places pressure on the children to remain connected to the family's labor obligations rather than having the opportunity to study and build a different future.

For these five children, education could be the pathway out of the cycle of poverty and debt. Without intervention, however, they remain at serious risk of losing their childhood and future opportunities to labor.

Our goal is to help the family become free from the debt so that the children can leave this cycle behind and return to education.

What the $1,101 Raised Has Made Possible.

Through four generous donations on GlobalGiving, $1,101 has been raised toward the $5,000 project goal.

The support received has enabled us to continue our relationship with the family and provide essential assistance, particularly monthly food/ration support.

However, the amount raised is not yet sufficient to achieve the project's central objective of addressing the family's outstanding debt and helping them move toward independence.

$3,899 is still needed.

Why We Have Not Published the Mother's Photograph

We understand that donors appreciate seeing photographs and personal stories of the people they support. However, in this particular case, we have not been able to publish a clear photograph of Shazia or her children because of safety and privacy concerns within the brick-kiln environment.

The family remains connected to a debt situation, and there are concerns about drawing unnecessary attention to them. People working and living within these communities can face pressure and restrictions, and we do not want a photograph published publicly to create additional risk for the mother or her children.

For this reason, we have chosen to prioritize the family's safety and dignity over obtaining a photograph for fundraising purposes.

We will continue documenting the project responsibly and, where it is safe and appropriate, provide donors with suitable evidence of project activities without exposing the family to unnecessary risk.

Current Challenges

The family continues to face several serious challenges:

• Approximately $5,000 in outstanding debt
• Extremely limited household income
• Dependence on low-paid brick-kiln-related labor
• Five children whose education has been disrupted
• Risk of children becoming involved in labor
• Difficulty meeting regular food and household needs
• Limited opportunities for the mother to establish an independent livelihood

The most significant challenge is that the project remains substantially underfunded.

Our Next Goal: Freedom and Independence

Our ultimate goal is not simply to provide another food package.

We want to help this family break the cycle of debt and exploitation.

With sufficient funding, Empower Women Welfare Foundation plans to work toward:

1. Debt Relief
Provide financial assistance toward resolving the family's outstanding debt.

2. Food Security
Continue monthly ration assistance while the family remains vulnerable.

3. Education for the Children
Once the family is free from the debt situation, support the children in returning to and remaining in school through educational expenses and learning materials.

4. Livelihood Support for the Mother
Help Shazia establish a small and sustainable income-generating activity so she can support her children without returning to a cycle of debt.

5. Family Follow-Up
Continue monitoring the family's progress, safety, education, food security, and livelihood situation.

Why Your Support Matters

For many families, $5,000 may seem like a large amount. For this family, it represents something much greater than money.

It represents freedom.

It represents a mother being able to earn a living without remaining trapped by debt.

It represents five children having the opportunity to study instead of being pulled into labor.

It represents food on the table, dignity in the home, and the possibility of a future beyond the brick kiln.

Four donors have already helped raise $1,101. Their support has allowed us to continue providing monthly food assistance to the family.

But the journey is not finished.

$3,899 remains to reach the project's $5,000 goal.

We are grateful to every donor who has stood with Shazia and her children. With continued support, we hope to help this family move from survival to security, from debt to freedom, and from uncertainty to hope.

A Message of Gratitude

We sincerely thank the GlobalGiving donors who have supported this family.

Your generosity is helping us stand beside a mother who is working hard to protect her five children under extremely difficult circumstances.

Although we cannot publicly share her photograph because of safety and privacy concerns, her situation is real, her needs are urgent, and her children deserve the opportunity to grow up free from debt and child labor.

We will continue working carefully and responsibly to support this family and pursue a lasting solution.