(Baonghean.vn) - For generations,no matter hot summer or cold winter day,Many generations of women in the coastal areas of Son Hai commune (Quynh Luu) have struggled to make a living by raking clams. Every time the tide goes low, they go out to sea to rake clams, hoping to improve their family's life.
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| In the first days of the month, the tide ebbs early, so before 4am hundreds of women have gone to the sea to rake clams. |
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| Clam rakes are scrapers that look like lips. People line up to search the sand for clams. |
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| Many old ladies over 70 years old are still present on the sandy beach every morning. |
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| For generations, Son Hai women have been attached to this profession. Their food and clothing depend on this hard work. And for the people, "being able to work" is their joy every day. |
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| On the beach, from young people... |
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| ...even the elderly can quickly rake clams |
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| Even when the tide is high, they still wade in the water to find clams. |
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| Making a living is not easy. |
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| There are children who go clam digging with adults. Sometimes they see this as a fun activity during summer vacation without fully understanding the hard work and hardship of their grandmothers and mothers. |
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| But there was also a boy who helped his mother and sister by standing on the shore and gathering clams together. |
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| After 5-6 hours, this woman carries the clams to sell. If lucky, the clam scraper can earn 50,000 VND. |
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| One person's results after a clam scraping session. |
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| Ms. Dong Thi Lai, 73 years old, in Hamlet 1, Son Hai Commune, said that she and her sister went from 5am to 11am but only managed to catch 3kg of clams. With the current price of clams, each person only earns 15,000 VND. Clams are usually purchased on the spot by traders. |
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| With no fields or side jobs, Son Hai women have to earn a living by raking clams all year round. The diligence and hard work of these women are also creating the famous sweet and fragrant brand of coastal clams. |
Lan Thai
