Forgotten child hero Iqbal Masih
Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani child who became an international symbol of the fight against child labor. Despite his tragic death at the age of just 12 years old. Iqbal's legacy continues to inspire activists around the world to this day.
Born in 1983 in a small village near Lahore, Pakistan, Iqbal Masih was the youngest of six siblings. Like many children in his community, Iqbal was forced to work in a carpet factory from the age of four. He would work for twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for a mere $6 a month. Despite this grueling schedule, Iqbal was determined to learn how to read and write. He managed to attend a free school set up by a local activist group, where he excelled in his studies.
In 1992, at the age of nine, Iqbal escaped from the factory and joined the Bonded L...
