{"id":19039,"date":"2026-01-20T10:11:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cgk.nl\/?p=19039"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:04:54","slug":"from-debt-slavery-to-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cgk.nl\/en\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/van-schuldslavernij-naar-vrijheid\/","title":{"rendered":"From debt slavery to freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Testimony of Sajjad - Project Liberation from Slavery and Trauma Care Pakistan (PAK178)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beginning<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Sajjad lives in Gojra, a small town near Faisalabad, where he and his family were trapped in debt bondage for almost 20 years. Sajjad was only seven or eight years old when he went to work with his mother in the brickyard. His father had fallen seriously ill with asthma and could no longer work. Because of his illness, the family had to take a small loan from the owner of the brickyard to meet their basic needs - a loan that, due to the unfair interest rate, grew into a burden they could never get rid of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sajjad's mother herself had worked in the brickyard for nearly 50 years, burdened by the same crushing debt. She carried the burden of the whole family and often worked alone, especially after Sajjad's father's illness worsened. With tears in her eyes, Sajjad recounted that his father, unable to bear the pain of illness and the hopelessness of endless debts any longer, eventually committed suicide. This tragedy forced Sajjad, the eldest of five children, to assume responsibility for the entire family as a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long, hard days<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

For years, Sajjad and his mother had to endure extreme hardship. They left their house before dawn, even on freezing winter mornings, with numb and stiff hands from the cold, yet forced to keep making bricks to meet their daily quota. Together, they made up to a thousand stones a day, earning barely four to six dollars. Despite their hard work, the debt never diminished but instead kept growing. Sajjad dreamed of giving his children a good education, but his income was so low that he could not pay even the most basic household bills. \u201cIf I paid the electricity bill, I couldn't pay the gas bill,\u201d he says softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The debt paid<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

After decades of slavery, Sajjad and his family finally experienced freedom in July 2025. Thanks to the support of diaconate CGK, their full debt was paid off and Sajjad was given an alternative business to start a new life. Today, Sajjad is a free man, earning a decent income every day and supporting his family with dignity. His mother, now over 70 years old, often raises her hands in gratitude to God, thanking Him and all those who made their salvation possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free by God's grace<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Sajjad is now actively involved in his local church, where he faithfully attends services and helps others who are still in similar circumstances. His pastor praises him as a sincere and God-fearing man. Sajjad has resolved never to fall into debt bondage again, even when the going gets tough again. He manages his business wisely and ensures that his four children can now go to school - something he once only dreamed of.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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