2021 Annual Report
people freed in 2021
students in education
families supported into work in 2021
//2021 Key Info
Redemption
People set free: 791 people /168 families (increase of 27% on 2020)
Average cost per person: $149.73 USD
Average time enslaved: 12 years, 8 months
Total spent: $118,434 USD
Education
New schools started: 1
Total schools operating: 8
Total students: 315
Total teachers: 16
Total Education spending: 910,000 PKR / $5687 USD
Aid, Community Development, Refugee Work
Total Aid spending: 215,000 PKR / $1344 USD
Total Community Development: 295,000 PKR / $1844 USD
Total Refugee Support: $6624 USD
Seminars/Training: 90,000 PKR / $562 USD
Admin and Fundraising
Admin: $2885 USD
Marketing and Fundrainsing $3600 USD
Office rental: $2450 USD
Technology : $465 USD
Redemption
This year was our biggest year ever. Having been through the covid lockdown dramas of 2020, there was a lot more freedom to get into work. With the generous support from our donors we were able to set free 791 people in 169 families! That was an increase of 27% on the previous year. It was definitely stretching for the team as the more people we redeem, the more time, travel and energy goes into the work, not just in redeeming the families but in following up the freed families to make sure that everyone is doing well and is not at risk of returning to slavery. So I’d like to honour our team: Emmanuel, Dilbar, Shakeel, Imran, Kashif I, Naomi, Arif, Kashif G, Bashir and Faris. You have all worked so hard to redeem so many, and we hope that you all feel the joy at seeing the fruit of your labors.
Arzu’s Story
At the Freedom Banquet in 2021, the Orurah Masih family shared their heart with Emmanuel, leaving him overwhelmed. They shared:
“We went through very tough crisis. We used to stay awake crying at night because we are very old and we could not work. Our owner would often abuse us. He used to come daily at our door and demand his money or force us to work. There was no one who could help us. We had no hope. Then my husband got sick. We were under so much pressure and felt covered with depression. Now, our debt is paid, and we are released and free! We sleep well, we have no depression. We eat and sleep without any tension and worries. We thank God so much for the people who have paid for us and the team who set us free!”
Thank you so much to our amazing donors, who have enabled this elderly couple to live our their years in freedom, peace and joy!
See the joy of some of the redeemed families of 2021!
Education
After the drama of lockdowns and school closures in 2020, our teachers and students were thrilled to be back together. Over 2021, we managed to start one new school and bring our total student population to 315. The teachers are doing an amazing job with such an incredibly tight budget–only $5687USD. The students are also doing well, and we are hoping that with more resourcing in 2022 they’ll do even better.
Aid Work and Community Development
In 2021, we continued to help people in desperate need. Working with our close friend Farsi Rajput, we installed 11 wells in remote villages over the course of the year. We also provided food, aid and supplies to remote villages in desperate need for the basics of life. We managed to do all this on a budget of just $3188USD. Just imagine what we could do with just a little more!
Refugee Work
In 2021, we continued our support a Pakistani refugee community of 15 families, providing $6624 USD. As refugees, these families are entitled to no government support, nor are they legally able to work. We are hoping that many of these families will be approved for international relocation, but it is a lengthy process, leaving them in very difficult circumstances.
Health and Nutrition Camps
In 2021, we started our medical, health and nutrition camps. We ran eight camps in very poor areas and next to brick kilns. The camps drew up to 150 people for treatment and advice. During these camps, Sonya, Shakeel, the team (including locum doctors on occasion) treated children, teens and adults from all backgrounds and religions without discrimination. Most enslaved people cannot afford to go to doctors or pharamcists for even basic supplies. For such people, the medical camps presented the first time they could access medical support. Many suffered from diabetes, skin diseases, infections, worms, boils, anemia and so on. Thank you so much to our donors who are making this all possible!
A Word from Emmanuel
Our Pakistan Project Director writes:
We are glad to share the report for 2021. The Lord helped us to showed God’s love in many different ways in 2021. We redeemed so many families this year and we also did eight medical camps that helped hundreds of people with free medicines and consultations. We installed many wells in interior Sindh. This is place where there is no water supply from government and people have to travel miles and miles for water. We provided food for many families in remote villages. One personal highlight for me was the Freedom Banquet in Gujranwala on Friday 15 Oct, 2021. There were approximately 100 families redeemed in that area. We celebrated their freedom with them and the families spent time with the Freeslaves team. We had a very good service where all the families along with their children were praising and worshiping God. There faces were shining with happiness. Many shared their testimonies of their suffering in slavery, that made my heart break. Then the shared of their joy of being free! We shared the love of God at this celebration, and some of the people who heard the gospel in this service accepted Lord Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. Praise God! We had some of the awesome feedback from the families who shared their heart with us. We also distributed bibles in remote areas especially to those who can read but not afford a bible. Thank you so much to our donors who made all this possible, may God bless you!
Final Thanks
This year has been an epic year, far outstripping our hopes or expectations. To free almost 800 people was an amazing effort from our donors and the team in Pakistan. Just imagine what all those people are doing now with their new-found freedom.
It was also an incredible highlight to see the medical camps get underway. If you look at the photos in that section, you’ll see a couple of horrific shots of infections and burns that young people were just enduring (rest assured that those in urgent need were cared for immediately with specialist care). To think of so many people living not just in slavery but with the ongoing pain of infections, broken limbs, or disease without any care is untenable. We are just so blessed to be able to make a difference in this area.
It’s a difference that is only made possible because of our donors. So Thank You. You have been amazing and enabled us to do so much on your behalf. I know that our communication hasn’t been the best this year–we’ve been really stretched and often donor communication has slipped down this list of all the urgent stuff to do. So I really want to thank those people who have continued to support us, especially our monthly donors. This whole project is only possible because of your love and faithfulness, so again: Thank you. Thank for your giving freedom to the captives, hope to the hopeless, health to the sick, and love to those in such great need. You are amazing and we are so grateful to be working with you to change the world for these families.
May God pour out His joy upon you as His love flows through you. May His presence surround you and all those you love. May you drink from the river of His delights and find all your pleasure in His love and affection.
With all gratitude in Christ,
Geoff Woodcock
NZ Freeslaves.org Project Director
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