Happy 'patchers' in Nghe An coastal village
(Baonghean.vn) - When the stormy season comes, the wives whose husbands have died at sea feel even more sad and lonely. But having married a man from a fishing village means that these women accept to bear the misfortune and brace themselves to overcome the storms of life.
Raising 6 children to college alone
We went to Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu), a coastal area where most of the residents have their income from the sea. The sea gives people many livelihoods and also takes away many things, including young men.fishermanstrong, leaving behind young wives and children. But born and raised in a coastal village, accustomed to the storms, the women of the coastal village have the strength and courage to overcome the storms. Ms. Tran Thi Cham (born 1972) in Dai Hai village is such a person.
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| A corner of a fishing village in Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Cong Kien |
In the small, spacious house, Ms. Tran Thi Cham looked out to sea, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She said: “More than 11 years ago, he boarded a boat to go fishing, then left forever. For all those years, I lived in constant longing, always trying to be a support for my children.” Ms. Cham and Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (born 1969) got married in 1989 and had 6 children (5 girls, 1 boy).
Although life was difficult and hard, the house was always filled with children's laughter. Then, one day in mid-2010, the sea took away Ms. Cham's husband, leaving her with a group of young children, a youngest son who was only in third grade, and a debt of nearly 200 million VND. Not to mention her biological parents and her husband's parents were both old and sick.terminal illness
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Ms. Tran Thi Cham proudly talks about her children's academic achievements. Photo: Cong Kien |
Losing her beloved husband and the pillar of the family, Ms. Cham was so heartbroken that she almost collapsed. Thinking of her young children lacking their father's love, she got up to be with them, from now on being both mother and father, determined to raise her children to be good people. People in Quynh Long and Quynh Thuan often saw her rushing to the fishing port, when the fishing boat docked, she quickly bought goods and transported them to all over the region.
The daysrough seasInstead of going out to sea, she goes to work mending nets for hire, earning tens of thousands of dong a day. Regardless of day or night, Ms. Cham is almost always working hard, saving every penny to take care of her children's education.
“Seeing how hard and tiring their mother was, the children encouraged each other to be good, study well and help with work. Seeing them grow up day by day, I have more motivation to overcome the storms and make up for their happiness.”
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| Tran Thi Cham's family was recognized as a studious family. Photo: Cong Kien |
All 6 of Ms. Cham's children passed the university entrance exam, now 5 of them have graduated and have stable jobs, the youngest son is a 3rd year student. There was a time when raising 3 children in university, 2 children in high school, Ms. Cham had almost no time to rest, always worrying about work and borrowing money to take care of her children.
Today, Ms. Tran Thi Cham's burden has been significantly lightened, her four children have started families and are living happily. She borrowed money and contributed money to buy a fishing boat, so she has a steady source of income, and is able to rebuild her house and buy all kinds of amenities.
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After her husband passed away, Ms. Tran Thi Cham worked hard to earn a living and raise her children to be successful. Photo: Cong Kien |
Despite her hard work and busy schedule, Ms. Tran Thi Cham still actively participates.social activities,For decades, she has been an official of the Farmers and Women's Association, always a shining example for its members. In recognition of her positivity and dedication, Ms. Cham has received many Certificates of Merit from local associations; her family has been recognized for many years as a Cultural Family and a Studious Family.
“For the children, I do everything”
If the burden of Ms. Tran Thi Cham is gradually easing, Ms. Tran Thi Hue (born in 1993) in Phu Lien village has just begun and the years ahead will be filled with many difficulties. Because less than 2 months ago, during a trip to sea to fish with a purse seine, Mr. Tran Van Long (born in 1989) - Ms. Hue's husband was unfortunately electrocuted and died.
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Ms. Tran Thi Hue and her second son. Photo: Cong Kien |
At the age of 28, Ms. Hue has become successful.widow, sometimes she still can't believe this cruel truth. Only when she sees her husband's portrait and incense on the altar, does the woman from the fishing village truly believe that her husband is no longer in this world.
Her husband passed away, leaving Ms. Hue with 3 children, the first is under 6 years old, the second is 3 years old and the third is still in the womb, due to be born at the end of October. The couple borrowed money to build a small house and jointly bought a fishing boat. Now that the husband - the pillar of the family - is no longer there, Ms. Hue is left alone with a debt of 500 million VND.
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Ms. Tran Thi Hue mends nets to earn money for childbirth. Photo: Cong Kien |
Like many womenseaside villageQuynh Long, after each fishing boat docked, Ms. Hue often helped her husband transport shrimp and fish to the markets and seafood processing facilities. Since her husband passed away, she has been almost exhausted, and is about to give birth, so she has to stay home to take care of her husband's incense and her young child. Most of her relatives and siblings are in difficult circumstances, so they cannot help her and her child much.
No matter how sad she was, Ms. Tran Thi Hue determined to try her best to raise her children, to make up for the loss of her father's support.
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| Many women in the fishing village of Quynh Long commune work as net-mending women to earn a living. Photo: Cong Kien |
She shared: “There are so many difficulties and challenges ahead, there is no other way but to try to overcome them, to be a support for the young children. My husband is no longer here but my children still have to have a good future, for them, I will do everything”. These days, Ms. Hue has been mending nets for a family in the village to earn money for the birth. And she plans to continue mending nets after giving birth, and wait for her children to grow up before returning to the seafood business or working as a worker to earn money to take care of her family.
“The seafaring profession is often risky. Since 2010, nearly 20 women in the area have had their husbands suffer and die at sea. For women in this situation, we always promptly encourage them, share their pain and prioritize loans to develop the economy and take care of their children. Most of the women have overcome their circumstances, raised their children to be good people and actively participated in social activities, contributing to the development of their homeland.”