The Brick Kiln

People who work on Pakistan’s brick Kiln are among some of Pakistan’s poorest population and their work is often referred to as modern day slavery.

Labour on the Brick Kiln

Because of the low salary and the brick kiln being in a rural area far away from the city, the children on such brick kilns rarely have access to Pakistan’s free public school system.

The working conditions at the brick factory
are harsh, workers have to produce roughly a 1000 bricks a day.

Due to the extreme climate in Pakistan,
however, it is impossible to achieve the goal and workers continuously in-debt themselves to their employer. A vicious cycle which is often transferred to the next generation.

Children have to help out, to meet the daily goal or are left unsupervised in the dangerous conditions on the factory.

Dar E Umeed tries to break this cycle through education.

Here a child is helping out with the parents work, turning each brick for it to dry well.

The dried bricks are then being stacked and covered with dirt.

The stove is kept burning day and night with coal. It must not go out even at maximum heat.

Once the bricks have been fired, they change color from greenish-grey to red. The fired bricks are loaded onto a wheelbarrow for transportation.

Live at the Brick Kiln

Family Muneer

Our school can only be made possible thanks to good connections with the residents of the factory. The lessons, for example, take place in the forecourt of family Muneer’s brick hut.

They are a family of six and their tiny home would have two rooms. However, they decided to share one room as an entire family so classes can take place in the second room. That way at least our youngest students can hide a bit from the sun and rain.

Everyday Tragedies

This is a student of Dar E Umeed resting on the family bed. His brother died in a tragic incident where he got crushed by a delivery truck at the brick kiln. Hazardous conditions on sight are responsible for regular fatal injuries to children and adults as well.

The school provides a safe space for children to be free, play and learn.

Motherhood & the Brick Kiln

The young woman gave birth only a couple of weeks before this picture was taken in 2021. The house which consist of one room is home to the entire family and only has space for a large bed in which the young mother is cuddled into a blanket with her baby. You can’t see it on this photo, but the baby’s sweater says: “I deserve to be happy”.

Families try their best to raise their children with the little things they have. But it is difficult to keep everything sanitary under such living conditions. Which poses especially a danger for the youngest children.

House of Hope – Dar E Umeed