Bhim Kumari Biswokarma is 21 and came from Rolpa to work at a brick kiln in Patan five years ago. There are many like her from the war-torn midwest among the 63,000 seasonal workers in the Valley's 150 brick kilns.

They earn just enough to support their families and Bhim Kumari used to have to work and look after her three-year-old daughter simultaneously. Now, some brick kiln owners have started child care centres so babies of their workers can play in a safe environment while their mothers work.

Some of these brick factory owners had recently converted to less-polluting technology with help from Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and they were open to the suggestion that they also open cr?ches.

"We convinced the entrepreneurs about the importance of corporate social responsibility and both parties benefited. It is a win-win situation," says Usha Manandhar of SDC.

The cost of the child care centres is borne by the owners and workers. Each worker contributes Rs 5 per day per child and the brick company provides child caretakers and the building.

Mangal Maharjan, manager of the Satyanarayan brick kiln in Imadol, has calculated that with his Rs 160,000 upfront investment he has 60 percent more productivity when the children are in daycare. Maharjan is now proud to present himself as a socially responsible entrepreneur and is happy that he and his employees benefit when children are better taken care of. Others like Maharjan now want to start schools when the children grow up.

It is no coincidence that the brick kilns where management was most concerned about emissions and converted to less-polluting technology are also the ones that have invested in child care centres. There are an estimated 10,000 children aged below 10 at the brick kilns in the Valley. "The challenge now is to expand the program to the other brick factories," says Manandhar.

The kilns bake Rs 2.5 billion worth of bricks to meet the demand of Nepal's burgeoning construction industry. Says Bhim Kumari: "It is hard back-breaking work but at least now I don't have to worry about my daughter injuring herself while I'm busy."

Pragya Shrestha