Krishna Khanal (right) is a 27-year-old painter associated with the East West Engineering Company. He is from Bardiya, and has been working in Kathmandu for 10 years now. Krishna’s wife and two kids live in Bardiya while he lives alone in Gaushala. He says painting walls has been his source of income since as long as he remembers.

“Though the nature of my job is risky because I have to climb tall buildings with the support of temporary wooden ladders, I have become habituated with the risks. I am comfortable climbing on all kinds of ladders and walls,” he says. Krishna quit his studies while he was in the third year of his bachelor’s degree. “I have opportunities in Nepal, so I feel working here is much better than going abroad to sell your sweat and blood. I earn enough to look after myself and my family back in Bardiya. I am satisfied with my life,” says Krishna. 

Meanwhile, Gita Prasad Ghorasaini (left) works with Krishna. Gita is from Melamchi and he is 42 years old. He has been working as a painter since six years. Before coming to Kathmandu, he used to do agro farming in Melamchi. He owns a house in Naxal where he lives with his family of five. Like his colleague Krishna, Gita too is content with this job. “I quit farming after it did not yield much result, but the job of painting walls has paid off well. I don’t have big aspirations in life. I am satisfied and happy that my family members have a roof over their heads,” he says.