Tan Lam fishing village: How long will it drift?

(Baonghean) -For generations, they have clung to their traditional profession, drifting on the river to make a living; every day and every hour facing poverty, illiteracy, and dangers when the rainy season comes... Their greatest desire is to get to shore, to have a piece of land to settle down...

The day we returned to Tan Lam fishing village (Nam Loc commune, Nam Dan district - Nghe An), it was raining heavily due to the impact of storm No. 5, causing the entire fishing village to gather and anchor along Ghenh Da wharf... Old, shabby bamboo boats and concrete boats were crowded together in a long line, waiting for the storm to pass.

Sitting on the boat of Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh - who is considered a "village chief", representing more than 60 households of Tan Lam fishing village, we were able to "witness" the life of fishermen during the days of "hunger" for shrimp and fish. Stopping at the sturdy boat farthest from shore, the wall was made of bamboo, the only partition between the kitchen and the living room, which is also the bedroom; on the side of the boat hung a few old, wrinkled clothes, a few aluminum pots and bowls and chopsticks placed haphazardly at the end of the bow. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuyet - the boat owner explained: "Because of the unstable income, for many years the family has not been able to buy anything to serve daily life". Mr. Tuyet is 46 years old this year, his extended family of 11 people including his elderly mother, his younger sister (mentally ill), his wife and 7 children living crowded on a wobbly boat of less than 12 square meters... Through the story, it is known that out of the 7 children, only 3 go to school. What worries the couple the most is that it is increasingly difficult to earn money, which means that the children have to leave school early to make a living. Mr. Tuyet sadly said: "If the weather is stable, all day long, fishing, pulling nets, and casting traps, we can only earn more than 100,000 VND, enough to buy rice and pay for the children's education. However, when the rainy season comes, hearing that a storm is coming, the family loses their appetite and sleep. Just storing clean water, rice and salt for use during rainy and windy days is already a big problem."

All activities depend on river water.

Next to Mr. Tuyet's boat is the boat of Mr. Hoang Van Cuong (70 years old) and his wife. Currently, his family only has the two of them living together on the dilapidated boat. Mr. Cuong sighed: "I am the second generation attached to this river wharf. Because we have no land, we can only rely on the river for our lives. In the past, Lam River had a lot of shrimp and fish, and the fishing village's life was still "full", but now the river water is always muddy, and the fish and shrimp are "hiding". If we want to eat, we have to go far, but the small boats are too broken, so we just stay around this part of the river. Nearly 4 years ago, when the commune government announced that the State would create conditions for resettlement land, each household would receive a 250m2 plot of land, support of 10 million VND to build a house, and a 6 million VND interest-free business loan, we were extremely happy. But until now there has been no movement. We just hope that soon there will be a roof over our heads so that we fishermen do not have to row and take shelter every time there is a storm...".

The assets of each fishing village household are the same, which is a boat no larger than 15m2 for living, plus a small boat for fishing. When the children reach the age of marriage, a new raft is connected, the fishing village becomes more crowded... The most "luxurious" house only has an old 14-inch TV, while the majority only have a radio to listen to weather information, a few fishing nets and a dilapidated bicycle to travel when they have to go ashore. Although they leave their lives to the river, the good news is that now Tan Lam fishermen know how to pay attention to their children's education, the children know how to love school and class. Since the 2009-2011 school year, the fishing village has had 3 children pass the university entrance exam, 2 pass the secondary school entrance exam. In particular, Mr. Nguyen Hong Cuong's family has 2 children admitted to Hue University and Nghe An University of Medicine. "I didn't have the chance to go to school in my life, so I'm poor. Now I have to encourage them to study well and build a career..." - Mr. Nguyen Hong Cuong confided. But those are families with economic conditions, building huts on the shore and raising buffaloes and cows; as for families that are not fixed on a certain area, if the children go to school, will their studies continue or not, no one in the fishing village dares to confirm. If a child goes to school, the family loses another worker, and with the cost of education increasing day by day, it is natural for children to drop out of school halfway.

Mr. Nguyen Canh Loc, Vice Chairman of Nam Loc Commune People's Committee said: "Currently, Tan Lam fishing village has 64 households, 238 people living in 4 clusters, at the foot of Nam Dan bridge, Ru Tret (bordering Khanh Son commune), Ru Ghenh Da and in the dead-end river area near Ba Ra culvert. Since 2007, the Government has approved the Project to build a resettlement area for Tan Lam fishing village with a total area of ​​5 hectares with an investment capital of 7 billion VND. In the planning, the Project will build essential infrastructure works to serve people's lives such as: electricity and water systems, roads, community cultural houses... But currently the commune has only been allocated 2 billion VND, completing the compensation, clearance and leveling of the land. According to the plan, in September 2011, Tan Lam fishermen will stabilize their residence, production and living, improving their lives. However, up to now, the Project only has vacant land, other items have not been implemented. In meetings and meetings with voters, the fishing villagers have repeatedly mentioned their new accommodation, but the commune authorities do not know how to explain it!"

Leaving Ghenh Da wharf when the afternoon rain was getting heavier, the children's eyes kept following us, making us feel sad - When will the people of Tan Lam fishing village have a roof over their heads to settle down and make a living?

Ngoc Anh