I have been working at a kiln for the last 17 years. My grandfather and father also used to work here. When I got married, my father needed money for the wedding. He borrowed money from the kiln owner and was working to pay off the loan. However, he died 2 years after my wedding. The loan was transferred to me, and so now I must work to pay it off.
When I had my first child, I vowed to give him a better life. I did not want him to have to work in a kiln his whole life like me. When he tuned 5, I wanted to send him to a good school and so asked the kiln owner to lend me some more money. He refused, as in 6 years, I have been unable to pay off my father’s debt. I did not give up. I have sent my child to a government school, but it means sometimes we do not have enough food to eat. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have dry bread, but other times we sleep with an empty stomach.
My son has now completed 10 years of education and he dreams of being a doctor. I do not have the money to send him to college, and see a bleak, dark future for us all. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
I fear that my son's future will be similar to mine, making bricks. It makes me sad and sometimes very depressed. My son worked hard – after school he helps me, and stays awake all night working. All of his efforts are wasted, and he has no other choice but to work with me at the kiln.
I earn Rs.1000 (£4.53) per day where half of my wages go to pay off the loan, and we use the remainder for our food, to pay bills and rent. At the start, our loan was Rs.300,000 (£1360) and after paying loans to all these past years instead of decreasing, it has jumped to Rs.600,000 due to interest. I can’t see this loan ever getting repaid, even with the next generation.
