Through a two-year fundraising campaign, locals, under the guidance of the Christian Social Welfare Center (CHOPS) and its president Roman Żarnecki, gathered PLN 7,000 (USD 1740). Their efforts culminated in a dramatic buyout from the clutches of modern slavery.
Żarnecki, who witnessed the harsh realities in Pakistani brick factories, spearheaded this initiative. The family, initially indebted for USD 1,300, was trapped in a vicious cycle where their debt outgrew their earnings.
The successful but dangerous rescue mission involved secretive negotiations, which, in the past, once cost a Swedish activist her life, Żarnecki told state news agency PAP.
The Kalisz community's dedication didn't stop at the buyout. Żarnecki said that they also ensured the family, now free, had a home and a means to earn a living, exemplifying the true spirit of Christmas. "I'm proud of my proteges," declared Żarnecki.
As early as 1995, Human Rights Watch/Asia produced a report showing that millions of workers in Pakistan are held in modern forms of slavery.
"Throughout the country, employers are forcibly removing labor from adults and children, restricting their freedom of movement and denying them the right to negotiate terms of employment. Employers force such workers into slavery through physical abuse, forced confinement and debt bondage. The state does not provide these workers with effective protection against exploitation.
Although slavery is unconstitutional in Pakistan and violates various national and international laws, state practices support its existence. The state rarely prosecutes or punishes employers who hold workers in bondage. Moreover, workers who oppose exploitation invariably face police harassment, which often leads to imprisonment on false charges," according to the report.
(jh)
Source: PAP
