Set Them Free: End Bonded Labor Now

Every Step Brings a Family Closer to Freedom

We are grateful to share an update on our ongoing efforts to support families trapped in bonded labor at brick kilns across Pakistan.

Although GlobalGiving contributions have not yet reached the amount required to legally secure the release of a family, the project has continued moving forward. Through locally raised resources, Samaritan's Fellowship Foundation has remained active in affected communities by conducting field assessments, strengthening relationships with vulnerable families, and laying the groundwork for future rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Every step taken today is preparing us for the moment when sufficient funding becomes available to restore families to freedom.

Current Progress

• Field assessments conducted in multiple brick kiln communities
• Vulnerable families identified and documented for future assistance
• Relationships strengthened with bonded labor families
• Local authorities and community stakeholders engaged
• Emergency contact information shared with workers
• Ongoing preparation for future rescue and rehabilitation activities

Key Activities Implemented:

• Community Field Visits

Our field team visited several brick kiln communities to better understand the challenges faced by families living under bonded labor.

These visits allowed us to:

• Identify families most in need of future assistance.
• Document local conditions and priority cases.
• Build trust with workers and their families.
• Prepare accurate beneficiary records for future interventions.

• Community Protection & Local Advocacy

During this reporting period, our team engaged local authorities and influential community representatives to raise awareness about bonded labor and encourage greater local oversight.

While these activities cannot end bonded labor without financial intervention, they help reduce exploitation by increasing visibility and accountability within affected communities.

• Building Trust with Families

Our team provided families with direct contact information and encouraged them to reach out whenever they experience abuse, intimidation, or urgent concerns.

Establishing trusted communication channels is a critical part of our long-term strategy and helps ensure that vulnerable families know they are not facing these challenges alone.

• Rescue Planning & Preparation

Rescuing a bonded labor family requires more than paying a debt.

Each intervention involves careful planning, beneficiary verification, legal documentation, family relocation planning, children's education, and sustainable livelihood support. Our ongoing field activities are helping us prepare for these future rescue operations so they can be carried out responsibly and effectively.

Current Challenges

The greatest challenge continues to be funding.

Most bonded labor families remain trapped because they have accepted advance payments from brick kiln owners and are bound by debt agreements. Until these debts are settled, families cannot safely leave their workplaces.

Each family's freedom requires financial resources that allow us to negotiate debt settlements while also supporting their transition to an independent life.

Impact So Far

Community Impact

• Increased engagement with vulnerable brick kiln communities.
• Improved identification of families requiring urgent assistance.
• Stronger communication between workers and our field team.
• Greater awareness among local stakeholders regarding bonded labor.

Organizational Impact

• Expanded beneficiary database for future rescue operations.
• Improved preparedness for rapid intervention once funding becomes available.
• Strengthened partnerships and community relationships.
• Continued visibility and presence in high-risk communities.

Beneficiary Snapshot

Many of the families we met continue to live under conditions of debt, exploitation, and uncertainty.

Although we have not yet secured enough funding to legally release a family through this GlobalGiving project, these families now know they have an organization standing beside them—listening to their concerns, documenting their situations, and preparing for the day when rescue becomes possible.

Our Commitment

Samaritan's Fellowship Foundation remains fully committed to ending bonded labor in Pakistan.

Through locally mobilized resources, our organization continues conducting field visits, supporting vulnerable communities, advocating with local stakeholders, and preparing for future rescue operations while we work toward raising the funds needed to secure families' freedom.

Next Phase – From Preparation to Freedom

With continued support from donors around the world, the next phase of this project will focus on:

• Legally securing the release of bonded labor families.
• Settling bonded debts through negotiated agreements.
• Relocating families to safer communities.
• Enrolling children in school.
• Providing livelihood assistance so families never have to return to bonded labor.
• Expanding rescue efforts to additional brick kiln communities.

How You Can Help

Every donation moves a family one step closer to freedom.

Your support not only helps us prepare for future rescues—it also brings us closer to the day when we can celebrate the release of the first family through this GlobalGiving campaign.

Please consider sharing this project with your family, friends, and colleagues. Together, we can replace exploitation with freedom, dignity, and hope.

Closing Note

Ending bonded labor is not achieved in a single day—it is built through preparation, trust, partnership, and action.

This reporting period reflects an important stage in that journey. While we continue working to raise the funds needed for the first rescue, we remain actively engaged with affected communities and committed to ensuring that every future intervention creates lasting freedom rather than temporary relief.

Thank you for believing in this mission and for standing with families who are still waiting for the opportunity to live in freedom and dignity.