How people escape modern-day slavery in Pakistan
Millions of people in Pakistan are trapped at brick kilns paying off debts that mysteriously keep growing. We followed one family's journey out.
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00:00 12-year-old Dilip Meghwar has always dreamed of going to school.
00:07 But before he was even born, his father Poonjo borrowed money from the owner of this brick
00:13 kiln.
00:14 So the entire family has been trapped here, trying to pay their debt by making bricks.
00:21 The Meghwars shared their story with us over six months ago.
00:25 I have been studying here for 12 years.
00:30 I have been working here for 12 years.
00:34 Hundreds of people reached out, asking how they could help.
00:38 And a Pakistani NGO made it their mission to free them.
00:43 But it's not that simple.
00:45 This work is difficult and tough.
00:47 We get threats from the owners.
00:51 Lawyers have called this form of work bonded labor or modern-day slavery.
00:56 Because the workers aren't allowed to leave.
01:04 And landlords don't even tell them how much interest they're adding on the debt.
01:10 So why is it so hard to escape bonded labor?
01:14 And what makes this such a risky business?
01:17 This is one of the biggest brick kilns in Pakistan.
01:21 It's in the middle of the Thar desert.
01:25 About 150 families live here, making bricks.
01:31 And many of the workers are children who were born into bonded labor.
01:36 Dilip started mixing mud with sand.
01:44 Dilip started mixing mud when he was seven.
01:47 His family needs to make 1,500 bricks every day to keep up with their loan payments.
02:06 They get paid $1.50 a day and are told that another $1.50 goes toward their debt.
02:13 The landlord tells them they now owe around $600, but he hasn't shared any paperwork.
02:20 The Meghwars barely make enough to eat, so they are forced to keep borrowing more.
02:26 Dilip and his family live right by the kiln.
02:38 We live in a hut.
02:41 We live in a house.
02:44 We live in a house.
02:47 We live in a house.
02:55 Sometimes Dilip wishes he and his siblings could just enjoy their childhood.
03:01 We play and play. We play and play.
03:06 We play and play.
03:09 Papa!
03:15 Zahid Thebo works for a non-profit that helps free families from bonded labor.
03:22 He's never met Dilip, but he was part of the same insider documentary.
03:27 And in some places, more than half are taking 10 years old.
03:33 Zahid's own relatives were trapped at a kiln, but he was born free, and so were his two sons.
03:40 Zahid finally met the Meghwars in May.
04:01 We have a documentary.
04:03 We have a lot of food.
04:07 We have juice.
04:10 We have chips.
04:13 Where did you get this?
04:15 We got it from the village.
04:17 Is the documentary available in your village?
04:19 Yes, it is.
04:21 How are you?
04:24 I'm good.
04:25 Breathing in dust under the scorching desert sun, and firing bricks and massive underground.
04:31 What a night!
04:33 I'm so happy. I don't know how to describe it.
04:37 I don't know what to say. It's a beautiful night.
04:40 Dilip, right?
04:42 Yes, Dilip.
04:43 That day, Zahid promised the Meghwars he'd set them free.
04:49 But the most difficult part was making them realize that they can be free.
04:57 Bonded labor is banned in Pakistan, but Zahid still has to go to court to free workers, which can take months.
05:05 He says paying back what a family like the Meghwars supposedly owes is the quickest way to free them.
05:13 Every time we went to ask them about the families, how much they owed, the demand for it kept increasing.
05:22 When we asked for written proof, they didn't have any.
05:26 Hello, brother.
05:29 Hello.
05:30 But the NGO he works for has had success.
05:34 They've released 18,000 workers by court order since 2005.
05:41 I'm afraid because when we release people, the owners are the mafia.
05:48 My wife tells me, "Little kids, don't get involved in this."
05:52 After months of chasing the kiln owner, Zahid finally paid their debt.
06:04 Now he's here to help them move.
06:10 The Meghwars don't have much to pack, so they're almost ready to go.
06:14 Dilip wants to play cricket with his friend one last time before they leave.
06:21 [Cricket sounds]
06:48 While the family said its goodbyes, Zahid visited Poonjo's mother, Vasanthi, who lives in a shack nearby.
06:55 She has decided to stay behind.
07:01 There are no doctors here, but Zahid's NGO has paid for her to be treated.
07:17 And she doesn't have to work anymore.
07:19 When he returned from meeting with Vasanthi, Dilip had disappeared.
07:34 Some workers told Zahid that the kiln owner had locked Dilip in his office.
07:46 They contacted him to get his side of the story, but he didn't respond.
07:50 Dilip was back home the next day. He wouldn't say what happened to him.
07:56 Dilip's clothes were also torn up, so Zahid took him shopping.
08:08 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:12 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:16 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:20 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:24 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:27 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:32 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:52 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
08:55 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
09:04 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
09:14 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
09:42 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
09:45 Zahid noticed that Dilip wasn't feeling well, so he took him to the doctor.
09:54 Many kiln workers get sick because of all the dust that they're breathing in.
10:06 Lung disease is the leading cause of death for children there.
10:11 His lungs are weak, he's coughing and has a cough.
10:15 We're giving him fever and headache medicine.
10:20 These are books, shoes, and clothes.
10:36 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
10:40 Dilip wanted to try on his new clothes right away.
11:04 Then, Zahid's NGO decided to help the family start over in a town called Azadnagar, which means "the free city."
11:31 This is everything they own, but Dilip says they'll be carrying much more in their hearts.
11:37 Azadnagar is about 180 miles away from the kiln, so this is the farthest he and his siblings will ever have gone.
11:57 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
12:01 It will take them about four and a half hours to get to Azadnagar.
12:08 Locals also call this the colony.
12:11 NGOs like Zahid's set it up to resettle families here if they can't afford their own homes once they are freed from kilns.
12:20 Azadnagar is a place where they can go and do whatever they want to do.
12:27 They don't have to work as bonded laborers anymore. They are free to go.
12:32 About eight to ten new families move here every month.
12:38 And there's always a traditional welcome with flowers to celebrate their safe arrival.
12:46 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
12:50 Rani told us she mainly kept to herself when she lived at the kiln.
13:03 So this is a lot to take in.
13:12 Many of the people here still work at brick kilns, but they're cleared of debt.
13:17 Now it's time for the Meghwars to move into their new home.
13:23 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
13:27 This one's pretty basic, but it's still bigger than their old shack.
13:38 Without debt looming over him, Poonjo can decide to go work at a kiln again if he wishes, or he can do something else.
13:46 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
14:04 Even though residents say life here is better than at the kilns, they still don't have running water.
14:10 But Rani says to her, there's really just one thing that matters.
14:31 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
14:34 Her son Dilip is at the school around the corner.
14:40 All of the children here came from brick kilns and had never learned to read.
14:49 [Students chanting]
14:53 [Students chanting]
14:56 But he still worries about the friends he's left behind.
15:22 [Shopping in Poonjo's language]
15:25 [Music]
15:28 [Music]
15:32 [Music]
15:36 [Music]
15:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]