When Maryam\u2019s husband fell ill, they took out a loan of just $862 for his medical care. Little did they know that this financial \u201cagreement\u201d with the brick kiln industry would steal their freedom for years. \u201cWe agreed to the loan, believing that we would work off our debt in the brick kilns for one year, and then we\u2019d be able to return to our homes,\u201d Maryam recalls. But one year turned to twenty as high interest rates and garnished wages made it impossible to repay the loan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maryam and her husband raised their four children in the brick kilns. As they grew older, they were left with no choice but to abandon their education and join their parents as fellow brick makers. Their daughter Shazia, only twelve years old, now makes hundreds of bricks a day. \u201cShe used to go to school, but now she makes bricks \u2026 since her father passed away,\u201d Maryam shares tearfully. \u201cThis is how we make our living.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n “What I have done, it’s all because of God. He has done this all for me. So my faith is strengthened.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to your generosity, GCR was able to provide Maryam with a produce cart and donkey. She now makes her living selling fruits and vegetables in nearby villages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best of all, Maryam has been able to build a home on land her husband purchased before he died. No longer forced to live in the brick kiln or stay with relatives, Maryam feels safe and comfortable in a home of her own\u2014a place where she can live surrounded by her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat I have done, it\u2019s all because of God,\u201d <\/em>Maryam said. \u201cHe has done this all for me. So my faith is strengthened. The trust in God, the faith in God is increased.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She shared that she and her husband had dreamed of building their own house and providing brighter futures for their children, but since their income went toward paying off their debt, these dreams felt impossible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBefore paying the debt, I wanted to do a lot of things,\u201d<\/em> Maryam said. \u201cI wanted to build but we didn\u2019t have the resources for it. Because all was given to the bricklayer. So it was all dead in my heart. We used to talk about our life. That was our life. So I cannot do what I wanted to do, but as you paid the debt, so I was able to fulfill my desires, fulfill my dreams.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In just a year, Maryam has made incredible progress on her home and has even purchased a refrigerator and water pump so that she can wash her clothes and dishes at home. These may not seem like luxuries to many of us, but as she thinks back on her life as an enslaved Christian, she does not take her new amenities for granted. To her, everything is special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maryam has four children: Sana (20), Samina (14), Aneem (13) and Nagina (11). Sana has been learning to sew so that she can work as a seamstress from home. Aneem has been learning to drive a rickshaw. Unfortunately, after his father died, he had to leave school, but hopes to return. Samina hopes to study the Bible and become a pastor. As the youngest, Nagina has been enjoying her childhood while occasionally making bricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year, Maryam feared for her daughters\u2019 safety\u2014for a good reason. After their father\u2019s tragic death left them without protection, the girls were vulnerable to sexual harassment and abuse prevalent in brick kilns. \u201cI now have to rely on my son for a living and for protection,\u201d <\/em>Maryam told us. \u201cThe girls have to come with me to work. It\u2019s the only way to keep my daughters safe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, Maryam\u2019s attitude has completely changed. \u201cIt\u2019s better that I have my own place,\u201d <\/em>she shared. \u201cI feel secure. The house is safe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maryam and her family sing to the Lord, praising His name and rejoicing that His word gives hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.globalchristianrelief.org\/2025\/07\/PAKISTAN_2024II_FU2-05321-scaled-e1753394611746.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMaryam and her family, one year later<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hope for the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n