Breaking the Chains

Asif and his wife Javeria were raising seven children while living with a debt that, according to their account, had burdened three generations of their family.

Through Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), The Church of Pentecost Pakistan sought to respond with more than temporary relief: settling the debt and helping the family begin a new livelihood.

For years, brickmaking defined the family's working days. Mud was pressed into moulds, bricks were laid out to dry, and the work continued in the heat and dust.

The family described the insecurity of living on small daily earnings while deductions were made toward their outstanding debt. In bad weather, production—and income—could stop altogether.

The hardest part of this struggle was watching the children grow up under the shadow of the brick kiln. Asif and Javeria wanted them to have access to education, safety and opportunities that had been beyond their reach.

For this family, freedom was never only about an old debt. It was about the possibility of giving the next generation a different inheritance.

The family's experience came to the attention of The Church of Pentecost Pakistan through its humanitarian ministry, PENTSOS. The team visited the kiln, met the family and heard their story directly.

When asked what kind of work he could pursue independently, Asif explained that he knew how to drive a rickshaw. His answer helped shape a practical response: freedom from debt accompanied by a means of earning a living.

The children were present throughout the Church's visit. Their faces and voices were a reminder that the consequences of inherited debt extend beyond the adults who originally borrowed the money.

The Church's aim was to support a fresh start in which the family could pursue a stable home life and greater educational opportunities for their children.

The visit also included a time of Christian prayer. The Church's humanitarian ministry expresses its faith through practical compassion, respect and support for people living under economic pressure.

As Luke 4:18 reminds Christians, Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed. PENTSOS seeks to reflect this calling by addressing practical needs alongside spiritual care.

The Church arranged for the outstanding debt to be paid to the person to whom the family was financially bound. The photographs document the payment process, with cash being counted in front of the people involved.

The settlement addressed the burden that had followed Asif's family through three generations and created an opening for the family to begin again.

These photographs are an important part of the story. They show a real financial settlement, not a staged illustration or a symbolic gesture.

The Church's intervention was intended to remove the obligation that had kept the family in bonded work and support their transition to an independent livelihood.

Paying the debt was an essential first step. Without new income, however, the family could remain vulnerable to another cycle of borrowing and hardship.

Because Asif knew how to drive, PENTSOS provided a rickshaw to help him begin earning independently. The vehicle was presented to the family in the presence of the Church team.

For Asif, the bright green rickshaw was more than transport. It represented the opportunity to work for himself, make decisions about his livelihood and provide for his children.

The photographs of him driving with members of his family mark a significant moment: after years shaped by inherited debt, a different kind of working life was finally within reach.

At the conclusion of the visit, the family and ministry representatives gathered in a moment of visible joy and thanksgiving. For those present, the story had moved from hardship and uncertainty to relief and renewed hope.

The photographs do not by themselves prove every future outcome; what they do document is a tangible intervention and a family looking toward a new beginning.

Asif's family is one of many whose lives have been affected by the risks of inherited debt and exploitation. The Church of Pentecost Pakistan invites churches and humanitarian partners to support families seeking financial independence, education and dignity.

This is the heart of PENTSOS: practical compassion rooted in the love of Jesus Christ. To learn more or discuss partnership, visit coppak.org or write to info@coppak.org.