The simple house is located deep in Vinh Trung village (Ngoc Hoi commune, Hanoi), with unpainted walls where Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa lives. Without the laughter of her children and grandchildren, without the shadow of a relative, the space around her only remains the stillness and slow pace of life of a woman who has stepped to the other side of her life.
Ms. Hoa has never been married, because since she was young she has suffered from many diseases. Her parents passed away more than 40 years ago, and since then she has lived alone... With no family support, she soon got used to a life of self- control and taking care of herself quietly. Since my parents passed away, I have lived alone until now, Im used to it, Ms. Hoa sadly said.
During her healthy years, Ms. Hoa worked in many jobs to make a living. When she was old, weak, and unable to work hard, she was attached to the craft of hand-woven hats. The work seems easy but requires meticulousness, patience and especially sharp eyes.
The income from weaving hats is extremely unstable. During the months of stable health and stable work, Ms. Hoa can earn about 1 million VND. During her ill months or when few people place orders, Ms. Hoa's income was only 200,000 - 300,000 VND. "If you have less work every month, you will feel like you don't have money, life will be more comfortable," Ms. Hoa shared.
In addition to her small income from weaving hats, Ms. Hoa currently lives mainly on a social allowance of 700,000 VND/month. This amount of money she uses to cover all living expenses, from food, electricity and water to medicine. Therefore, she always calculates and saves every penny on spending.
Due to old age leading to illness, Ms. Hoa currently has many chronic diseases such as stomach, bronchitis, and heart disease. The smoldering pain and prolonged coughs caused her health to decline. His eyes gradually blurred, his hands trembling, making it more difficult to knit the hat than before.
"Every time night falls, my body is tired, my chest pain, and my cough is unstoppable. Many times I think I feel sorry for myself because being alone, old and weak can lead to many diseases. When I am so tired, I just want someone by my side, she confided.
According to Ms. Hoa, when her illness is serious, she only dares to buy medicine outside to drink in moderation, not daring to go to the hospital for examination. Without husband, children, or relatives, Ms. Hoa's relatives all live far away, and her economic conditions are difficult, so she cannot help regularly. Every activity in life, from healthy to sick, she has to take care of it herself.
Everyone around her felt sorry for her situation. Occasionally, they help her with some rice, vegetables or visit when she is sick. These simple shares become a great source of spiritual encouragement for women living alone.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong - Head of Vinh Trung village, Ngoc Hoi commune - said that Ms. Hoa's family situation in the whole village is of interest and sympathy.
"We always care, create conditions and support Ms. Hoa in the capacity of the locality. However, in reality, the current sources of support have only helped her partly cover her immediate living expenses. With the situation of living alone, old age, poor health and unstable income, Ms. Hoa really needs more sharing and cooperation from the community to be able to stabilize her life for longer," said Ms. Huong.
Please send any help to LD25094 to the Golden Heart Charity Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Account number (STK) 113000000758 at Vietinbank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi; STK: 0021000303088 - at Vietcombank Hanoi Branch; STK: 12410001122556 - at BIDV Hoan Kiem Branch.
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