Carpet Factory Iqbal Masih

A victim of bonded labour he was put to work at the age of 4 by his parents to pay off their debt of rupees 600 borrowed from an owner of a carpet factory.

Carpet factory iqbal masih.

For the unseen children of hussain khan s carpet factory iqbal masih s arrival is the end of hope and its beginning. Iqbal masih was born in 1983 in muridke a commercial city outside of lahore in punjab pakistan into a poor christian family. This is the story of a courageous thirteen year old boy who knew that his life was worth. It is iqbal who tells them that their family s debt will never be cancelled no matter how many inches of rug they make.

Iqbal masih was born in muridke a small rural village outside of lahore in pakistan shortly after iqbal s birth his father saif masih abandoned the family. When he was 4 he was sold by his parents to a carpet weaving company to work as a carpet weaver. Despite working 14 hour days six days a week iqbal never earned enough money to pay off the debt the cost of his apprenticeship his tools his food fines for his mistakes or the rising interest. At 4 years of age iqbal was sold by his father into bonded labour in a pakistani carpet factory in punjab in order to get his family a loan to pay for the wedding of iqbal s oldest brother.

In return iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt. Iqbal became a debt slave at an early age for the owner of a carpet factory who then sold him on. Iqbal became one of the many child bonded laborers at the carpet factory. The debt incurred by the loan required that iqbal weave carpets 12 hours a day receiving one rupee for a full days work.

At age four he was put to work by his family to pay off their debts. Iqbal masih pakistan received the world s children s honorary award 2000 posthumously for his struggle for the rights of debt slave children. Overview of iqbal masih. In order to make sure he won t escape he and other children were kept tied to the chains.

Iqbal masih was a pakistani boy who fought against child labour until his death at the tender age of 12. But it is also iqbal who is brave enough to talk about the future.