Farms International, a Christian ministry which equips impoverished families with the means of self-support, is helping to curb the child slave trade by helping families become self-sustaining.

The charity is currently helping Christian families in 12 countries work their way out of poverty by providing small loans to help them start up their own family businesses.

The loans are provided with the aim of making the families self-sustaining and in turn able to support the local church by tithing the profits of their new businesses to support ministry.

Farms International president, Joe Richter, told Mission Network News that the programme is having an impact on the family.

"In many countries of the world, family breakdown is a serious problem," says Richter. "Usually it's caused by lack of finances for the family. For example, in Northern Thailand, many families will sell their children into prostitution and the slave labour market because they can't afford to feed their children."

According to Richter, fathers are forced to leave the family and head to the cities to try and make money, "and then the family is in jeopardy," he said. Richter said that many times the husband simply runs off or does something else "and the family really isn't helped that much".