Hoang Kim Lan and his two children in their cramped temporary shelter
Hoang Kim Lan, 42, and his two children in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai have been living in a cramped temporary shelter since their home was severely damaged by Typhoon Yagi last year. Lan put up a small shack to house the three of them with no money to rebuild and nowhere else to go.
Daily labourers like Lan are often left without work during the rainy season in this mountainous region, and poverty is a constant shadow over their lives.
In 2009, deeply moved by his family's hardship, kind-hearted individuals, local authorities, and neighbours came together to help him build a house.
However, in 2017, his wife left him and their two children, cutting off all contact. Left to raise the children alone, Lan has been struggling to make ends meet with unstable income from various manual jobs, ranging from construction work to farm labour.
Their already tricky life became even more desperate when their home was destroyed by a landslide triggered by Typhoon Yagi last year. Though the family managed to escape just in time, they were left without a solid roof over their heads.
"After the landslide, my children and I had to move in with my brother's family. Together, the nine of us now live in a cramped 20-square-metre shack. It's suffocating. During the cold and wet season, the whole shelter shakes with every gust of wind. I stay up every night to guard my two children, afraid the wind will make them sick. But we're too poor; I don't know what else to do," Lan shared.
Nine people live in a cramped 20-square-metre shack
Life has become even more precarious since the storm. Lan takes on any job he can find, carrying goods, working on construction sites, and tending crops, but his earnings barely cover daily needs.
His 14-year-old daughter, Hoang Tuyet Nhung, takes care of household chores and regularly collects firewood and wild vegetables to support her father.
Hoang Tuyet Nhung
"I feel so sorry for my dad. He works himself to exhaustion from dawn till late at night, but the money he makes is never enough. Life is tough for us," Nhung said.
Her only wish is for a sturdy home so the family will no longer have to live in fear every time it rains or the wind blows.
Lai Van Quang, Chairman of Minh Xuan Commune's People's Committee, voiced concern, "The storm season is coming again, and Lan's family still lives in a makeshift shelter, right next to a livestock pen. It's unsafe and unsanitary. We earnestly hope that kind-hearted benefactors will come forward to support the family so they can finally have a stable and secure place to live."
If you can help, send your donations to:
1. Code 5529: Hoang Kim Lan
Address: Keo Quang Village, Minh Xuan Commune, Luc Yen District, Yen Bai Province.
2. Dantri/DTiNews Newspaper
Email: nhanai@dantri.com.vnNo. 2/48 Giang Vo Str., Dong Da Dist., Hanoi
Tel: 024. 3. 7366.491/ Fax: 024. 3. 7366.490
3. Dantri/DTiNews' banking accounts
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietcombank:
Account name: Bao Dan tri
Account number: 1017378606
Bank name: THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM – Thanh Cong Branch
* US Dollar Account information at Vietcombank:
Account Name: Bao Dan tri
Account Number: 1017780241Swift Code: BFTV VNVX 045
Bank Name: THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM (VietComBank)
*EUR Account information at Vietcombank:
Account Name: Bao Dan triAccount Number: 1022601465Swift Code: BFTV VNVX 045
Bank Name: BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM (Vietcombank)
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietinbank:
Account name: Bao Dan tri
Account number: 126000081304
Bank name: Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade – Hoan Kiem Branch
* Vietnam Dong Account at Vietnam Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV)
Account name: Bao Dan triAccount number: 26110002631994
Bank name: BIDV, Trang An branch
* Vietnam Dong Account information at MB Bank:Account name: Bao Dan tri
Account number: 0231195149383
Bank name: MILITARY COMMERCIAL JOINT STOCK BANK - Thai Thinh Branch, Hanoi
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Agribank:- Account holder: Bao Dan tri
- Account number: 1400206035022
- At Agribank, Lang Ha Branch, Hanoi
* Vietnam Dong Account at Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB)- Account name: Bao Dan tri- Account number: 1017589681
- At SHB, Hanoi branch
* Vietnam Dong Account at Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB)
-Account name: Bao Dan tri- Account number: 333556688888
-ACB, Dong Do branch
4. Dantri/DTiNews' representative offices
- Office in Danang: No. 1, Le Duan Street, Hai Chau District, Danang City
Tel: 0236. 3653 725
-Office in HCM City: No. 51-53, Vo Van Tan Street, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District, 3, HCM City
Tel: 028. 3517 6331 (on working time) or hotline 0974567567
-Office in Thanh Hoa: No. 06, Vo Nguyen Giap Avenue, Dong Ve Ward, Thanh Hoa City, Thanh Hoa Province
Tel: 0914.86.37.37
-Can Tho Office: No.2, Hoa Binh Avenue, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
Tel: 0292.3.733.269
