Case Study of Rashid Masih

RASHID MASIH from Slavery to Freedom

Rashid Masih from Jagar village near Pir Mahal, 126 kilometers away from Faisalabad city. Rashid opened his eyes at brick kiln where his father and mother were working for many years. Rashid has other brother and sisters also but he was younger of all rest were all married when they was under age. Some of other relatives also with them at same brick kiln.

Rashid’s mother was suffering with tuberculosis. Because of heavy work load, no food and medicine the disease attacked her badly and in early ages when Rashid was only ten years old she died. After one month only Rashid’s father got paralyzed and died too. Not yet confirmed but presumes he also had the same infectious disease.
So, Rashid became an orphan and alone in his childhood. One of Rahsid’s sister who is married in Faisalabad having two children took him along to Faisalabad to take proper care of him and to get him educate.

Rashid started living with her sister, brother in law and their two children. Rashid sister helped him to get admission in school. But from very first day Rashids brother in law was not happy with all these sympathies of his wife for Rashid. He does not want Rashid to play with his children or to get education with them. But sister was helpless. Her husband one day harshly abused her and warn her to divorce. Brother in law ordered that only at one bet he can stay with us that he should work and earn for us.

Poor sister became helpless and requested Rashid to please understand her position. We are living in a rental place. Already there are many expenses two children are going to school. Therefore it’s difficult for us to bear you school expenses. You have to leave the studies and look for some job. Rashid was kind hearted when he saw his sister helpless he decided to work hard to bear the expenses. So brother in law took Rashid to a factory where he started earning for his sister and family. He left studies and became a daily wager.

Rashid was a hardworking boy. He worked day and night to support her sister and family. Rashid’s relatives living on brick kiln were used to visit him in Faisalabad on some special gatherings. There was a disable girl in his relative family. One of her leg doesn’t work properly and she walks lamely. The relatives were clever they saw that Rashid is very hardworking and simple boy so they insisted him to get married with this disable girl because nobody will marry her. Rashid at once agreed for this sacrifice and married to that disable girl. And once again his poor fate brought him to brick kilns. Because on marriage ceremony his in laws took loan and they had to return it with heavy interest on it.

Once again poor Rashid started a new quest to pay off his in laws debt. Then Rashid worked hard day and night to return the loan. About 4 years were passed after his marriage. He came to know from a nearby village Francisabad Chak 500 that there is a village namely Bishop Joseph Arshadabad where CLARA NGO is settling the homeless people by providing them with permanent shelters like rooms, toilets, hand pumps, solars etc.

He came to our office had meeting with our animator and was almost crying that even though I am working day and night to pay off my debt but its increasing day by day. Me and my wife are sick but they take work from us. They don’t even allow us to go for medication. I fear that I may not die like my father. Please help me to escape from this slavery. I want to love a life free of miseries and slavery. I want to breathe in open air. I have heard too much about you and your work. I am quite hopeful that you will take me out of this hell.

Finally, Rashid with the help of DESWOS got proper house and is happy with his wife. They love their house and take good care of it. They are planting new trees and making its boundary.

Reported by:

Salva Rafiq (Mrs)
Executive Secretary

CLARA NGO
www.clarapak.org