We Free Slaves

The Mission

An estimated 4.5 million people are trapped in modern slavery.

In Pakistan, entire families — including children — are born into bondage in brick kilns and other forced-labor jobs, working 14+ hour days to pay off debts that never shrink.

Our mission is to set them free. Not symbolically — legally, permanently, and with everything a family needs to stay free: housing, food, work, school, and a church community that walks with them into a new life.

Who we are

Our Programs

Three pillars. One mission.

We stand on three pillars that illuminate our path as we navigate the complexities of our mission — because lasting freedom takes more than a rescue.

A newly freed woman embraces an Exodus51 team member at a brick kiln

01 — Freedom

Freeing slaves from captivity

Exodus51 is committed to eradicating slavery in Pakistan, where millions are trapped in brutal conditions. We satisfy the debts that hold families captive and walk them into a freedom the law recognizes — documented, permanent, and theirs forever.

The Freedom Model

Hundreds of smiling students at the Exodus51 school

02 — School

Raising the next generation of leaders

We operate a flagship school serving 600 children — because literacy is the key that breaks generational slavery for good.

Inside our school

Inside the Exodus51 church — a packed congregation in worship

03 — Church

Building lasting community

Our vibrant church disciples and guides believers into a deeper relationship with God. This spiritual community is the heart of our mission.

Our church family

How We Save

The Exodus51 Freedom Model^™

Freedom isn't a moment — it's a process we pioneered and stand behind. Here is how a family goes from bondage to a brand-new life.

01

We identify the families

Our team has built trusted relationships across Pakistan's brick kilns. With an estimated 4.5 million people enslaved, finding families isn't hard — we work to reach those in the most desperate need first.

02

We legally buy their freedom

Most families are third, fourth, or fifth generation slaves, held by a debt accrued long ago. We satisfy the debt in full — on average about $300 per person, six months of housing and food included — and file paperwork with the government proving they are free.

03

We provide housing and food

Freed families have no means to provide for themselves — yet. We find and pay for transitional housing and food for the entire family for six months — on average, about $50 per person covers all six months — so freedom doesn't collapse into crisis.

04

Employment, school, and church

These are some of the hardest-working people you will ever meet. Within a month or two, adults are employed, children are in school, and the family is surrounded by a local church that walks alongside them.

See all nine phases of the Freedom Model™

The Film

See the mission with your own eyes.

Two minutes inside the kilns of Pakistan — the crisis, the calling, and the mission to set families free.

Exodus51 — The Promo2 min

Stories of Freedom

The world forgot them. God didn't.

Our ministry isn't about metrics. It's about the individual right in front of us — and their story.

Anita, holding her little brother — the day our team met them

Courage & Resilience

A 15-year-old girl cut her hair and dressed as a boy to protect herself while carrying her whole family — until freedom found her.

Read her story

Divine Alignment

A future board member wandered into the one home we hadn't planned to visit — and walked out having freed a family.

Read the story

Fulfillment of a Promise

Tricked out of a kidney by a false promise of freedom, Shaquille cried out to God — and heard an answer: "I'm sending someone to free you."

Read Shaquille's story

All stories

Our Future

When faith leads the way.

First, the Joshua Project: a permanent campus that expands our operations and multiplies our impact. Then, the Daniel Project: moving from rescuing individuals to transforming the system that enslaves them.

See the Vision

The official Exodus51 campus master plan

The official campus master plan — the Joshua Project.

11 acres

Purchased and paid in full — the permanent home of our mission

2,000

Members our campus church is estimated to serve

1,200

Students our campus school is estimated to serve every day

100s

Of families that need extra attention — from special needs to those at high risk of being taken advantage of

1 kiln

The first ethical, fair-wage kiln of its kind in Pakistan — with hopes of more to come

FAQs

Questions we hear often.

How do people become slaves?+

Nearly everyone is born into slavery without knowledge of how their families entered it. A small loan taken by a parent or grandparent — often to cover an emergency — becomes a debt that is never considered "paid off." Interest and quotas keep the family working in brick kilns for generations, trying to satisfy a debt that never shrinks.

Why don't slave owners just say no when you offer to buy their slaves' freedom?+

Because the relationship is fundamentally financial. Under existing law, if we step in and settle the debt obligation against a family, the owner is legally obligated to release them. Our team negotiates and documents that agreement so the release is legally recognized — not just verbal.

Aren't you supporting the slave industry by purchasing them?+

We understand the concern, and we take it seriously. We're not purchasing people as property — we're satisfying an illegitimate debt so a family can be legally and permanently released. The cost to free a family is minimal compared to their lifetime productivity to the owner, and once registered as free citizens they can never be re-claimed.

What happens to a family once they are freed?+

Freedom is only the first step. Every family is registered with the government as free citizens, then receives six months of housing and food while we connect adults to sustainable jobs, enroll children in school, and integrate the family into a local church community for ongoing support.

Is there a risk the slave owners could put them back into slavery?+

The only reason they could legally be held was the debt obligation. Once the legal settlement and government registration are complete, families receive national ID documentation (CNIC) formally establishing them as free citizens with rights under the law. The previous owner cannot have any claim over them.

Have any families been unable to adapt and ended up back in slavery?+

So far, we've never seen a family fail to adjust to life beyond slavery. Born into bondage, they embrace freedom when given the chance. With six months of stabilization, employment support, schooling, and church community, they adapt remarkably — and our team conducts ongoing follow-ups with every family.

Why is education so important?+

Education is one of the clearest ways to stop slavery from repeating itself. When you cannot read or write, you become dependent on others and unable to advocate for your family. When a child learns to read, write, and dream about a future beyond survival, everything changes — education creates options, builds dignity, and opens doors slavery tried to keep shut.

Set someone free

$300 one time

One gift of $300 legally sets a person free — the debt satisfied, freedom registered with the government, forever.

Give $300

Become a Freedom Partner

$25 per month

Set it once, and someone new walks free every year because of you. Monthly partners are the heartbeat of this mission — steady fuel for rescue, housing, food, school, and church.

Become a Partner

More ways to give, including by mail

Latest Updates

Know what we've been up to.

With a mission to free all people from slavery and raise them up, there is always news from the field. Join the list and follow the freedom.