The Kafalah Trust visited Vehari in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The team canvassed door to door in select neighborhoods and spread awareness on the opportunities to seek employment overseas via the Trust. The locals knew of several peers who had embarked on illegal journeys abroad, some successfully and others not so much.
For 24 years old Raees, the hope of being able to earn more than $2 a day provide an opportunity for his younger siblings and future generations to go to school rather than work on local farms, seemed like an opportunity of a lifetime. However, he did not want to risk his life in the process, and did not have the skills, the education or the financial means to find a job overseas.
Several older candidates were also keen on joining the Trust. Hawalat Khan – a 47 year old father of four works as a car mechanic. His income of $100 a month is barely enough to provide for his family. He envisions that a higher paying job would enable him to spend the rest of his working life earning enough income so that his children and grandchildren can have a better future. He had been offered the opportunity to find jobs abroad by several “intermediaries” before, but he didn’t feel the risk was worth possibly losing his life
