This is on behalf of the not-so-educated, sweating and hard-working labour force of Bahrain.

Let me take the liberty of requesting labour officials to please extend the midday summer ban on outdoor work further into September, for this year and all years to follow.

Temperatures continue to soar with a bad forecast for September.

Global warming is only going to make it worse, with higher temperatures every year.

Apparently, we are the only country in the Arabian Gulf that doesn’t give three-month relief from midday heat to our hard-working labour force.

How can we let our neighbours Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar supersede us? Aren’t we the best in the Gulf?

We, the W3 team consisting of a mother and daughter, are out every morning between 10.30am and noon to distribute juices and caps to workers from the comfort of an air-conditioned car.

Yet we still feel the heat.

It’s only when we see labourers struggling and doing work in the hot sun, with sweat rolling down the sides of their faces, do we forget our petty discomfort. Only when they smile with a very brief respite, by holding a pack of cold juice, do we feel better to wave to them and move on to find some more faces to put a smile on.

I hope we are able to bridge the gap between the fortunate and not so fortunate without upsetting anyone.

Nalini and Namita Varma (The W3 team)