The paths of journalism...

HAUNTED BY WOMEN WHO SELL THEIR CHILDREN

(Reporter Pham Bang)

Current Affairs - Politics Department - Nghe An Newspaper)

At the end of November 2018, reporter Tien Hung and I traveled from Vinh City to the border district of Ky Son to investigate the problem of cross-border fetal trafficking. Initial information about a group of pregnant women from the 5th month onwards being lured by a group of people to cross the border to China to sell their fetuses urged us to investigate to have warning information. In the role of population policy officers, with the help of the Commune Police, we were able to contact these women.

Reporter Pham Bang (far right) talks with mountain people. Photo: PV

At first contact, these women were very reserved, cautious and only answered our questions reluctantly. When mentioning their newly sold child, they bowed their heads, their eyes seemed to be filled with so much sadness. But absolutely, no one cried so that we could feel the regret, the torment for that sinful act. They answered the question of why they sold their child naively and innocently, saying that it was because their family was too poor and they did not have the conditions to take care of them. The amount of 60 to 80 million VND they received was used to repair the house, buy rice, buy motorbikes and even buy alcohol.

What these women have in common is that they are too poor and too poor. They have few fields and no stable jobs, and their only source of income is bamboo shoots in the forest and fish in the stream. Their poverty, combined with having many children, makes them sell their children in exchange for a sum of money.

Many people think that after selling their children they will escape poverty, but poverty still haunts them. The money from selling their children is quickly spent and they gradually forget the image of the child they sold. Then, when that child grows up in a foreign country, he or she may never know who his or her parents are, or why he or she was born. And if these women were tormented and regretful about the “cruel” actions they have committed, we might be less haunted. This is the saddest memory I have experienced in more than 9 years of working.

THE WHOLE FAMILY IS IN QUARANTINE

(Reporter Thanh Duy)

Current Affairs - Politics Department - Nghe An Newspaper)

While the whole country began social distancing on April 1, 2020, my family had been self-isolating since the beginning of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In early March, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung visited and worked in Nghe An. I was assigned to report on the activities of the Minister's delegation. After the delegation left Nghe An, the press reported that on the flight from the UK to Vietnam a few days earlier, the Minister sat in the same cabin as the 17th Covid-19 case.

At that time, my husband and I were given leave from our agency to self-isolate and work from home. Since my grandparents and siblings also live in the same area and come into contact with each other every day, when we heard the news, my entire extended family was given leave from our agency and "self-isolated". No one could go in or out, and all our daily needs depended on the shipper.

Reporter Thanh Duy (left) conducts an interview on a rescue ship at sea. Photo: PV

There was some anxiety but no panic, everyone in the family encouraged each other to self-isolate so that “just in case” it would not affect the community. The children who did not have to go to school seemed excited, but the adults were busy with many things. I have never seen so much rice in my house, and the refrigerator was also full of food. Everyone had even considered the possibility of the whole family going into centralized quarantine, so my grandmother and sister-in-law prepared a lot of dry food, and as of this writing, I have not used it all.

Friends and colleagues near and far knew the story and encouraged and shared. Especially when there was information about the Minister of Planning and Investment's testing over the times. Every time I heard the negative result, the whole family felt a little more secure. Phone messages and Facebook messages also poured in with information. Then everything passed, life gradually returned to normal. After working for half a month, from April 1, our country began to isolate the whole society. At this time, my job gave me the opportunity to go to the quarantine centers to receive citizens returning from abroad, but perhaps because of my previous experience, my family and I were calm, and we took more careful measures to protect ourselves.

Now, the whole country has entered a new normal state, the daily life of society has returned. Thinking back, journalism has given me the opportunity to have interesting experiences but also brought surprises. On the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, I would like to send my congratulations to my colleagues; thank our big family for always encouraging, sharing, and standing side by side, even in the most dangerous times, so that I have more confidence and motivation to work and live with journalism.

FROM LITTLE THINGS OF LIFE

(Reporter Thanh Le

Current Affairs - Politics Department - Nghe An Newspaper)

Once, by chance, I heard a colleague talking about the charity work of the group "Thanh Vinh's Pot of Loving Porridge". That information urged me to meet the group leader to learn more and write about their charity activities. However, when I contacted the group leader and made the request, she refused. She said that the group's work comes from the heart, is a chance to meet people with kind hearts, is a very normal thing to do. But finally, I asked about the group's gathering place every Saturday. It is the hospitals in Nghi Loc, Vinh city. And I also consider myself a member.

Reporter Thanh Le (right) talks with people in Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky). Photo: PV

Joining the group, I can understand the kindness of the members. They are of different ages, occupations, and living conditions, but with the same good heart. There are members with disabilities who still travel 40 km by bus on the day of cooking porridge; some travel more than 100 km by motorbike; there are students who come home from school and rush to cook porridge with an empty stomach;... After each trip like that, everyone feels that their life is more meaningful. My article "Giving love, spreading love" published in Nghe An Weekend Newspaper also hopes to send a message about the group's volunteer work so that more and more unfortunate lives, difficult circumstances can receive help and sharing from the community, and at the same time, I hope to spread the message so that there will be more and more meaningful and practical work, the responsibility of each individual towards the community.