An 18-year-old Christian girl, Shaheen was born into a poor family enslaved at a brick kiln. Despite working day and night they still did not make enough to live.
Shaheen’s father was diagnosed with heart disease and was unable to work for several weeks. The family had to take out another loan to pay for his treatment, but unfortunately he died of sudden cardiac arrest shortly thereafter.
The loan was increasing exponentially but now the brick kiln owner and his assistant began sexually harassing Shaheen and her mother. Because of this, her mother decided to get Shaheen married. She found a suitable husband for her, Naeem, who was also a brick kiln laborer, and they got married.
The owner was very angry at Shaheen and her mother because of this marriage and demanded much more now than the actual loan. All three continued to work at the kiln unable to pay the debt, and Shaheen became pregnant.
When she was five months pregnant, the owner and his assistants kidnapped Shaheen and transferred her to another brick kiln. The owner threatened Naeem and her mother that they would rape Shaheen and kill her child if they did not return the loan. Naeem had arranged some money but the owner increased the loan again. They were helpless and did not know Shaheen’s condition.
Naeem contacted RAM through one of his relatives and asked for help.
We immediately filed a petition in Lahore High Court for the recovery of Shaheen. The court ordered the police to recover her, but because we only had the address of Naeem and Shaheen’s mother, Shaheen could not be found.
It took two weeks of struggle to find her location and one month to free her. She was really weak after she was recovered, but her child was fine.
RAM immediately transferred Shaheen and her husband to the Sablone House. She had a complete medical checkup was done.
After one week Shaheen and her family were transferred to another city where they started settling in to their new life.
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Nabila* is an 18-year-old villager girl who lives in a mud house without any facilities. She has 6 sisters, but her parents have always considered them a burden. In Pakistan, a woman’s parents are expected to pay her groom’s family a significant dowry. Three of her...
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