A fishing family with three impoverished lives.
Three generations, three incomplete lives of a poor fishing family, are relying on each other amidst utter hardship. Homeless, without a place to live, without a means of livelihood, they can only look at each other through vacant eyes and heavy breaths of despair.
Temporary shelter
We arrived at Giang Tien hamlet, Bich Hao commune, on a late afternoon at the end of the lunar year. The hamlet's old cultural center was temporarily housing a fishing family. Mr. Tran Van Muoi, his son Tran Van Thin, and his granddaughter Tran Thi Tra were there.
.png)
At the age of 80, an age when he should be enjoying a peaceful old age surrounded by his children and grandchildren, Mr. Tran Van Muoi is burdened with the heavy worries of life. Once the pillar of his family, his steps are now slow, his hands tremble, and his health is like a candle in the wind, visibly declining day by day.
His life now revolves around the cramped space of his poor granddaughter. Tran Thi Tra was not as fortunate as others, suffering from a mental illness since birth.
Seeing his grandchild in such a dazed state, Mr. Muoi couldn't help but feel heartbroken, his heart aching whenever the child had a seizure or laughed and spoke unconsciously. He loved his grandchild terribly, but he was also powerless. For someone living in a world of unconsciousness, even the simplest things like coaxing the child to eat or sleep became a difficult and patient battle for an old and frail man like him.
Life, already harsh, became even more so after the devastating storm of 2025. The storm not only swept away what little remained but also took away the family's only home. Currently, the three-person family is relying on each other in makeshift shelter.
.png)
Natural disasters swept away the last glimmer of hope.
In the midst of hardship, the economic burden of the entire family fell on the shoulders of Mr. Muoi's son, Tran Van Thin. Not naturally quick-witted or energetic like others, he could only compensate with hard labor by fishing along the river. However, the harsh natural disasters showed no mercy to those already struggling.
The devastating storm of 2025 not only tore down the roof of their shelter but also sank their small boat – their only means of livelihood and their last hope. Now, with their means of earning a living gone, the family's breadwinner is powerless in the face of this harsh reality. The three of them are left to rely on the support of the community and the social welfare benefits provided by their niece, Tran Thi Tra.
A life of hardship and struggle.
Understanding the dire situation of Mr. Muoi's family, the neighbors in the poor fishing village extended a helping hand with all their hearts. A kind neighbor lent Mr. Thin a small boat – not very sturdy, but enough for him to have a means of earning a living, going out early and returning late.
However, that borrowed boat could not alleviate the deep-seated worries etched on the face of the already slow and weary man. Amidst the vast expanse of the river, Thìn stood alone with his oar and net, his thin frame casting a shadow on the silvery water. His sighs silently faded into the sound of the waves, carrying with them the burden of a son and father supporting a struggling family.
.png)
A dead end of fate
In the cramped and silent space of the community center temporarily provided by the local authorities, the atmosphere was thick with poverty and despair. As the lean season approached, the worry of food and clothing weighed heavily on the shoulders of these unfortunate people. Mr. Mười's eyes stared blankly at the bottom of the empty rice jar, where the last grains of rice were being carefully rationed and measured to survive each day.
Although Trà's social welfare allowance is nearly one million dong per month – a seemingly lifeline – it's actually insufficient in the face of the cruel cycle of illness and poverty.
Their family's "ship of life," having weathered the storms of natural disasters, is now tossed about in the ocean of destiny. Without direction or anchor, they seem powerless to watch their lives sink into a dark dead end, where hope is an unattainable luxury.
All support and assistance should be sent to the following address:
To: Mr. Tran Van Thin, Giang Tien Hamlet, Bich Hao Commune, Nghe An Province. Organization receiving support: Bich Hao Commune Fatherland Front, account number 3615201014615, Agricultural and Rural Development Bank.
Contact phone number: 0979.621.438 (Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, Chairperson of the Fatherland Front Committee of Bich Hao Commune).
The reporter in charge of the program is journalist Nguyen Ngoc Dung, phone number: 0913.064.060.
