How Millions Are Trapped In Modern-Day Slavery At Brick Kilns In Pakistan | Risky Business

Narrator: Vasanti Meghwar, 70, spends her days making

brick

s to pay off a debt. Also his son Poonjo, his wife and his son Dileep. It's the only life the 12-year-old has known. The family borrowed money from the

brick

kiln owner more than two decades ago to pay a hospital bill. Now they spend long days breathing dust under the scorching desert sun and firing bricks in huge underground

kilns

. Narrator: And they don't know if they will ever get out of here. The owner of the oven tells them that he will keep half of the money they earn to pay off his loan.

But Poonjo hasn't seen the contract since he signed it with his fingerprint 23 years ago. And there is no record of how much remains to be paid. Narrator: The Meghwars are among the

millions

of people in Pakistan who spend their lives making bricks to pay debts to wealthy landowners. These bricks will be used in construction projects across Pakistan. But families take home so little that they often have to keep borrowing more to survive. Lawyers say these bricks are part of a

modern

slavery

system. So how come so many families are

trapped

in this endless cycle of debt?

And why are they overlooked? Narrator: This brick kiln is in the heart of the Thar Desert in Pakistan. Temperatures here can reach up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. 150 families work and live here. Most people are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system. They are called Dalits and often do the least desirable jobs. The Meghwar family of five shares only a one-room house and this tent. Narrator: Dileep started working in the clay fields when he was just 7 years old. Narrator: Every day they deliver their quota of 1,500 bricks. They are paid $1.50 and told that another $1.50 goes toward loan payments.

But they have to continue to go deeper into debt to survive. Narrator: And they don't know how much interest is being added. The family believes they still owe about $560. Meanwhile, the kiln owner could earn the same amount in about a week simply by selling the bricks the Meghwars make. A source approached the owner. He declined to comment on how the installment and debt scheme works. Still, the family doesn't blame him. Narrator: To make the clay for these bricks, workers must first dig up the dirt. Narrator: Dileep then adds water and mixes the mud for hours until it turns into clay.

Narrator: Breathing in all this dust is the leading cause of death here, especially among children. Narrator: The Meghwar used to herd cattle. One day, the family borrowed money from a wealthy oven owner to pay a hospital bill. They say it was their only option because, like

millions

of people in Pakistan, they don't have a bank account or know how to read. So the Meghwars were not even sure what the terms were. They still don't know. Poonjo's mother, Vasanti, joined the family here 12 years ago to help erase her debt. Narrator: This 70-year-old woman says this job has worn out her knees and made it harder for her to walk.

Narrator: While her family continues working, Vasanti goes away for a while to prepare lunch. Narrator: Inflation has made life more difficult lately. Narrator: The donkeys help move up to 5,000 bricks from the plots to the

kilns

each day. The bricks are buried within this oval-shaped structure, where they will be baked. Workers stack them so that hot air can flow between them. Narrator: They cover the top with sand. Then they make holes and fill the gaps between the bricks with wood. This part of the job is so dangerous that the workers didn't even want us near them. Narrator: The ground here is hot and the temperature inside the ovens can exceed 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sometimes the tops of these structures collapse. In July 2022, three people were burned alive when they fell into the burning furnace. Narrator: Construction sites across the country use these bricks in everything from lining bridges and canals to building homes. Narrator: Bricks are durable and fireproof, but their manufacturing generates a lot of pollution. More than 20% of brick kiln workers in Pakistan have chronic respiratory problems. These fumes are full of carbon monoxide and sulfur, which can damage your eyes, lungs, throat, and skin. There are around 20,000 ovens like this in Pakistan and 100,000 more spread across South Asia. They account for more than 91% of air pollution in some cities.

As of November 2022, Pakistan's Environmental Protection Agency had closed nearly 70 kilns due to excessive pollution. Another big problem with these ovens is child labor. Zahid Thebo has worked with the Society for the Protection of Children's Rights, or SPARC, since 2006. His team visits brick kilns when the owners are not present to check working conditions. Narrator: Child labor is illegal in Pakistan. But estimates have found that about a third of brick kiln workers are minors. And in some places, more than half are not even 10 years old. The owner of the oven where Dileep is located denied that children worked there.

Narrator: What happens in the brick kilns falls under the legal definition of debt bondage. And this is not just happening in Pakistan. Reports suggest that there are almost 25 million people

trapped

in

modern

slavery

in the Asia-Pacific regions alone. The only industry where it is more common than brick production is agriculture. Pakistan's constitution made bonded labor illegal in 1992. Narrator: The labor department here in Sindh province told us that they cannot prove that bonded labor exists in these kilns because there are no records of families working there officially. But experts say oven owners often have ties to the government, making it easier to escape law enforcement.

Narrator: The Brick Kiln Owners Association Zahid refers to did not respond to us, but his website says they are committed to eliminating bonded labor and protecting workers' rights. Zahid says his NGO takes the families' cases to court. Narrator: Since its inception in 1992, SPARC has helped free more than 17,000 workers. Narrator: The NGO moves the families to a camp called Azad Nagar, which means "free city." Most of them still work in furnaces, but they don't owe money. Narrator: Pannu Faqeer started making bricks when he was 8 years old after his family took out a loan. Narrator: We contacted the local police department, who denied any allegations of violence.

A court order helped settle Pannu's family debt more than two decades ago, and he has been living here ever since. He now works with Zahid to free other workers. Narrator: Pannu travels with his family to court if they can get an appointment. But he says he faces threats from the kiln owners and was even attacked during a workers' rights protest near the colony in 2013. Narrator: He says it's a price worth paying to help others. As the. Narrator: But the residents here have no running water and there is no school. The NGO says it has requested help from the government.

Narrator: Still, the people living in Azad Nagar feel lucky to have escaped the cycle of debt and are celebrating a wedding in the colony today. Narrator: Zahid is the guest of honor. Narrator: Back at the oven, Poonjo's wife, Rani, begins preparing dinner at dusk. She is kneading dough to make roti. Narrator: With this debt looming over the family, her options are limited. Narrator: Dileep also says that he has little to look forward to except dating his friend. Narrator: For them, it is a pleasure to buy a bag of rice snacks once a week. Narrator: Dileep says that he believes that he will never have the chance to learn to read.

He has accepted his fate, but hopes others will not take his education for granted.