2017 Key Info

People set free: 155 people / 31 families
Average cost per person: $207 USD
Average time enslaved: 11 years, 9 months
Total spent:  $32,120 USD

New schools started: 2
Total schools operating: 5
Total students:180
Total teachers:8
Total spent: $2650 USD

Total Aid: $1770 USD

Prior to receiving our official charity status at the beginning of 2017, we set free 190 people in 38 families over the course of two years. This year saw significant growth in our impact – over 80% above the previous two year’s average. A big part of this is credited to the amazing support we have had from the USA. A special Thank you! needs to be made to Conner Shannon and the International School of Christ. They have been our most passionate supporters and are having incredible impact in the work in Pakistan.

 

Redemption

In 2017, we were thrilled to set free 155 people in 32 families at a cost of $32,120 USD. The average cost per person was $207 USD, and the average time spent in slavery was 11 years, 9 months. All these families were placed in work.

One amazing story was that of Kashif, our most expensive redemption yet.

Ten years ago Kashif’s parents died. After their deaths, his brothers sold him to work in the kilns and used the money to fuel their drug habit. I wondered how we would get Kashif free as his debt was $1200USD, which is more than many families. Yet one person donated $200 towards Kashif. Then on the same day, another person also put in $200, then another put in $800. Within the day we had enough to set him free. I talked to the first donor and asked why he put in $200 towards Kashif when so many other families were listed. His reply was simple: Jesus told me to. I was moved by their generosity and yet Kashif was far more moved. After we set him free, he talked to Dilbar about what had happened:

“I was so discouraged. My father died and then my brothers sold me into slavery. I was so discouraged and thought that no one loved me. No one even knew about me. But then I was set free and I thought who are these people that love me? I found out that God told them to help me. I want to know this God of love.”

Kashif now has a new life as a fruit packer and is connected to local believers.

 

Education

In 2017 we extended our small school network to five schools and eight teachers, spending $2650 over 2017. Our student numbers grew to 180 students. Most of our schools were poorly funded and stretched for resources, but the students made wonderful progress despite the lack of resources.

This is a new school that we started in June 2017. In was constructed in a village of 21 families and was the first and only school in the village’s history. However, after a few months, our teacher was visited by the owner of the quarry that employed the men of the village. The owner threatened that if we kept the school open, he would fire every man in the village and then kill our teacher. Reluctantly, we closed the school and moved to another village three kilometres away. Three of the families were so passionate about having their children educated that they moved to the new village.