Update from BHW Pakistan Partnership Facilitator

Key person: Edward Qasar

Context

Pakistan continues to be a dangerous place for Christians, especially for those who are intent on leading Christian ministries. In the last week we have heard from Edward that he has been threatened on the phone by people who do not like what he is doing in one of the sewing villages. So, there is a degree of danger for him, his team and his family.

The sewing programmes continue to be a great help to those who participate in them. They hear from time to time of women who have got jobs in factories in Faisalabad, and others who have started small industries in their own homes.

Recent Events

Activities

The current programme that is operating is the fourth of four in this current location in Faisalabad. The previous course was completed at the end of March 2024 and the current programme began in June 2024 and will finish in December. At that time, we will discuss their intentions for the future in this area related to sewing training. The current course is being run in Chak (village) No 119, Rasool Pur, near Faisalabad. There are 10 women in this course, and it is the first time a course has been run in the village. The course is being run in the small church building and pastor Sohail has been working with EGM since 2017. Here are some photos from the March graduation.  

Personal Stories

Suria is 19 years old and left school when she was 13. Her two younger brothers remained at school, but the family did not have enough money for her to stay. Because she had a scar on her face, she was considered to be ugly, and it would be difficult to find a husband for her to marry. Most girls her age were already married, some of them when they were 14. 

When the course began at her church, she was keen to join but her family said it was a waste of time. However, the pastor convinced them to let her train, and she was very happy. She loved the course, and the other girls treated her with kindness and love. She now has several very good friends. And she is very good at sewing. Late in 2023 she was baptized and is growing in her faith. She got a Bible too and loves reading it. She does a lot of sewing and she has a good reputation in the community. 

Partnership's Influence within the Community

The most observable change is that girls are getting employment who would have no other chance of employment. If it were not for these courses they would remain at home, would be married off early and would not complete their education. Once they are trained, they contribute to the household income and so become valuable members of the family. This gives them a higher status. It often means that they do not get married as young as when they were not contributing, and when they do get married, they will be treated with much more respect in their new family.

These courses are a real boost to the spiritual development of those involved. The number of young people coming into the churches is increasing and there are many more baptisms in the churches with the sewing programmes. The pastors and the church members are very encouraged by this outcome. 

Ideas for the Future

When the Bright Hope World team was last in Pakistan in 2023, we went to a village where there were some families doing more than sewing. They were sewing sequins onto sari material, doing embroidery and other quite detailed needle work. There is a proposal being developed to help set these families up into a small business so they can maximise the financial return to the family rather than selling their beautiful garments to a wholesaler.

Current Issues and Challenges

The current economic and political situation makes for an increasingly difficult environment for everyone, more so for Christians. 

They are under constant scrutiny at the local level and any excuse is used to make life difficult for them. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) For the vision of the team and their ability to deliver tangible development to individuals, families and churches.
2) That despite the challenges and opposition, they can continue delivering development.
3) For safety for the women who attend the courses as they gather.
4) Several girls from the majority community are involved in the training and hear the Good News. Pray for them that they will be impacted by the messages they hear.
5) For safety of the key team members as they move about the country visiting and leading many ministries. 

Comments

These are great partners, and we have a lot of confidence in them to deliver sewing programmes. We have done many with them and they are well set up to deliver. 

We will discuss the budget with them when we plan the next series of courses. They are usually about the same amount each time.