Day care centres for babies of poor working mothers

Poor working mothers need day care centres for their children during working hours so that they can do their work smoothly. Though populous Dhaka city has not adequate day care centres for poor mothers, some existing centres proved effective to them.      
Asma Begum, who works at a residence in the city's Cantonment area as a domestic worker, thinks that she can join her duty as she availed the chance of keeping her lone baby Sathi at a centre. Her husband works as a hawker. There is none at her house to look after her baby while the couple goes out for work. "Keeping my baby at the centre ensured my tension-free work. Otherwise, it would not be possible for me to work smoothly," she said.    
Ismat Ara, a garment worker and mother of Limon, aged 4 years, also finds the centre very useful for the mothers like her. She said that her baby fell to a nearby water body but luckily escaped when she left him at her house alone. Then she decided to keep her baby at the centre.
Caregiver of a centre, Hamida Begum, said there are 30 babies at her centre for babies of working couple of lower-income group of people at Bhashantek slum in the city. Six women, appointed mainly from the locality, perform the duty of care giving to the babies in two shifts by turns. Every mother has to pay Tk 200 as fee for keeping their babies at the centre. There are a total of three centres at the slum where 90 babies are kept from morning till evening.
The centres started functioning from June this year. Nutritious foods are provided four times a day for the inmates. Two-time snacks and two-time heavy foods are included in the foods.         
Hamida said that atmosphere at the centre has been made in such a way that the babies can have their motherly feelings there. They also impart pre-primary education, music and discipline to children. After getting the teachings, they are seen playing and singing songs in a discipline manner, which helped their early development.
Caregivers take care of everything of the babies, which pleases their mothers. It is quite impossible for the working mothers to go to their workplaces keeping their babies at home. Keeping babies at the centres is helping the poor mothers to earn their livelihood. It is a great help for the helpless mothers.
The centres have playing instruments for their play. Some of the babies are so pleased that they decline to return home when their mothers come to take them back. The babies, kept at the centre, stay there calmly, which is rare, because babies rarely remain calm. Babies remain in better condition at the centres compared to their homes, said Hamida, echoing the opinions of the mothers.   
Working women, who have no other family member at their houses, feel secure after keeping their babies there. They do not feel secure of their babies keeping them alone at home after they go to their workplaces. The poor working mothers would not have the chance of going to their workplaces if they had not kept their babies at the centres.
Empowerment of women is hampered if they are denied the scope to employment for any reason. Favourable atmosphere for them would help them contribute to their families, making them valuable to respective families. Scope to work of the poor mothers can end discrimination to them and ensure their development paving the way for empowerment of women.         
If the mothers face trouble in joining works, their right to employment may be hampered. Their empowerment would be boosted if they get chance of earning livelihood. As per rule, baby's parents must be engaged in works.     
Manzur Ali, an elderly man living the slum since 1974, appreciated the initiative of setting up the day care centres. It benefited the working mothers. There are about 8,000 to 10,000 working mothers in the slum, he said, adding that it would be better if more such centres are set up.            
There is a growing concern about the rapid rate of unplanned urbanization in Bangladesh and its impacts on the well-being of urban residents. Currently 25% of the total population lives in the urban areas. This percentage is expected to reach 50% by 2040 (Sixth FYP, 2010). Most of this growth is occurring in urban slums that constitute over 30% of the urban population (Urban Health Survey 2006).
At present, both parents have to work outside for earning livelihoods. Children are kept to either neighbours or relatives who barely fulfil requirement necessary for early development. But these children are wretched, growing in such an environment that is unfriendly and improper. They get injured or beaten by others, do not get proper foods, no education and are growing in the most unhygienic environment, suffering from loneliness and crying. Children are often getting lost or being abducted.
Despite such alarming trends, very few steps have been taken to face such difficulties. There are a few child dropping centres run by some private organizations, but it costs a lot of money. The poorer families can barely meet their daily needs and it turns out luxury to them rather than necessity. It is urgent to take necessary steps to save and improve lives, to avoid certain catastrophe and for a better future.
Taking the matter into consideration, BRAC has taken initiative to support the poor children and their mothers through Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres. Dhaka city is one of the most populous cities. Growing slum population is one of increasing challenges. Dhaka city receives more than a million rural migrants per year. Most of them are forced to live in low income areas/slums that have grown up in most unsanitary conditions. Often all these slum dwellers have to work for sheer survival.
Mothers, who traditionally use to stay at home to take care of their children, now can go out for work to earn their livelihood. They have to work hard to survive and their struggle begins from morning till midnight. In this situation, infants and children are left in the care of their older siblings/relatives or neighbours. Sometimes they leave them un-attendant.
In the ECD centres, children have access to congenial atmosphere regarding learning, good nutrition and development. Under the umbrella of Gender Justice Diversity (GJD), BRAC launched a project entitled SNEHALOY (Strenghthening Enhancing and Learning Opportunity for the Youngsters). SNEHALOY is aimed at ensuring early childhood development in the slums of Dhaka city.
Sheepa Hafiza, chief of Gender Justice Diversity Division of BRAC, said BRAC has so far launched 17 day care centres in Dhaka city to create an enabling environment for poor children's cognitive, social and physical development.  About 500 babies are now enrolled in the centres.
BRAC-GJD initially decided to target the babies aged six months to four years to provide them a violence and deprivation-free environment in which they can develop their full potential. The programme offers opportunities for enjoyable learning.
The initiative is also aimed at ensuring gender equality and increasing women empowerment through ECD programme by reducing  poverty and violence against women and children. BRAC is planning to introduce more facilities at the centres. Hafiza called on all to extend their support to the initiative. All should extend their support for setting up of more day care centres for babies of poor working mothers, she said.     
The writer is a journalist. His e-mail address is [email protected]