There is another 'world' in the heart of the city

(Baonghean.vn) - Hidden behind the bustling Vinh Station, there is a residential area with shabby, dilapidated roofs hidden under the dense trees. More than 10 families live precariously in a hidden corner by the edge of a stagnant pond. Only one railway line away from the city center, there are two completely different "worlds".

The old apartment complex behind Vinh station is home to 13 households with 19 people. In the photo is the only path leading to Hamlet 31, Block 19, Dong Vinh Ward (Vinh City).

Following the railway, enter the residential area (also known as hamlet 31) in block 19, Dong Vinh ward (Vinh city). This is the shelter of 13 households with 19 people. More than 10 houses, actually rickety shacks, all have in common that they are torn, the tiled roofs are reinforced with nylon sheets to prevent leaks when it rains. The peeling lime walls, full of holes, are covered with pressed bamboo sheets, cardboard... or anything that can be put together.

The old houses here were rented by the people from a collective housing area belonging to Team 31 of the Railway Company. They were people from all over the country who came to Vinh Station to make a living. Some people from Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh... came here to make a living and give birth, and later their grandchildren were also born here. Some households were workers of the Vinh Station loading and unloading team, but since the loading and unloading team was dissolved, they became unemployed.

A house of a household in hamlet 31

Of the 10 households living there, only two have registered residences, namely Mrs. Le Thi Hoa and Mrs. Tran Thi Tam. These two households used to work on the railway, the rest are only registered for temporary residence or temporary absence. Life is difficult, only two or three households in the whole village have black and white televisions from the last century.

All other activities are also very makeshift. Two public wells were dug close to the edge of the fish pond, the water is almost dry and unusable. The toilet is only surrounded by three brick walls to cover it, and the waste goes directly into the pond.

In ceat makeshift house, hFor half of her life, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong lived alone.

Every possible material for covering is assembled by the people for their dwellings.

During stormy days, no one in the neighborhood dares to stay indoors because the house could collapse at any moment. They have to wait for the local government to evacuate and arrange temporary shelter. After each storm, they return to the poor small neighborhood to rebuild what was destroyed by the storm.

Young people in the neighborhood work all kinds of jobs, while the elderly stay home to look after their children or collect scrap metal around the train station. Nguyen Truong Son (born in 1981), who was born in the neighborhood since childhood, confided: Born and raised in this land, I witnessed many unfortunate lives, lonely old people, some even after getting married still come back to this neighborhood to rent a house... The vicious cycle of poverty continues to haunt my life.

The most "luxurious" house in neighborhood 31

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong (1939), from Dien Quang commune, Dien Chau district, came to Vinh to start a business in the 80s of the last century. When she was young, she used to work as a porter at Vinh station. Now old and weak, every day, that woman still wanders around the alleys to collect scrap metal, earning a little to live on. Nearly 80 years old, she still lives alone in a dilapidated house. When asked where her children are, she just shakes her head and says: "The only son in the family works far away in Saigon. Every year, he only comes back for a few days during Tet."

Men in the village often work as hired laborers and porters, while women collect scrap metal to make a living.

The lives of nearly 20 people are changing from day to day. And because they are not citizens with registered residence in Vinh city, they have to accept a temporary life of deprivation and poverty in a "private" and isolated world. There will come a time when the tents are not enough to protect them from the sun and rain and no one can imagine what will happen...

Thuy Ngan - My Phan