Unchained

Iqbal Masih was born in Pakistan. His family was very poor. They needed money. So they sent Iqbal to work. He was only four years old. For six years, Iqbal worked 14 hours a day in a rug factory. The work paid almost nothing. Yet, Iqbal could not run away because the factory owner chained Iqbal's leg. At age 10, Iqbal was able to escape the factory. He was still just a kid. But he soon became a leader in a movement to end child labor. Iqbal told his story over and over. And he found many friends and supporters around the world. However, Iqbal's efforts sparked anger in factory owners. When he was 12, Iqbal was shot and killed in Pakistan. Many people believe that factory owners murdered him. Iqbal's death was a tragedy. But his death caused many people to take action. They stopped buying carpets made with child labor. And they worked to end child labor.