Ill father watches children study in dilapidated Tay Ninh home

On an early April day, Dantri/Dtinews reporters visited the home of Nguyen Quoc Ly, 47, in Tan Long Commune, where he lives with his wife and two children deep inside a rural residential area.

The house, about 60 square metres, is built from bamboo and wood and has deteriorated severely after more than a decade of use. Termite damage has weakened its structure, while old corrugated metal sheets used for the roof and walls are riddled with holes, letting sunlight and rain pour through. The earthen floor has become uneven due to erosion from leaks.

Inside, there are almost no valuable belongings. A small table piled with schoolbooks for the two children stands out in an otherwise bare home.

During the rainy season, the family lives in constant fear that strong winds could bring the house down, leaving them without shelter and disrupting the children’s education.

Local officials said Ly has suffered from a spinal condition for years, preventing him from doing heavy work. The family’s income depends entirely on his wife, who earns just over VND 5 million (approximately USD 200) a month as a factory worker.

Ly said he wishes he could work to support his family but his health continues to decline. He now stays at home, taking care of household chores and transporting his children to school.

Since getting married, the family has had no land for farming beyond the small plot where their house stands. His wife’s income barely covers school fees, food and daily expenses.

For years, the couple have hoped to repair their home to provide a safer and cleaner place for their children to study, but that remains out of reach.

“Because we are poor, my children sometimes feel shy and do not invite friends over. As a father, I feel sad that I cannot build them a proper house,” Ly said.

The tin roof makes the house stiflingly hot on sunny days and soaked during rain, forcing the family to use basins to collect dripping water. When heavy rain combines with strong winds, they lie awake in fear that the structure could collapse.

“My eldest daughter is in grade 10, and my youngest is in primary school. On rainy days, they have to move their books around to avoid getting wet. It breaks my heart,” he said.

Ly said the family does not need a large house, only a modest, solid structure with proper walls and a secure roof so his children can study safely.

Nguyen Huu Tam, Vice Chairman of Tan Long Commune People’s Committee, said Ly’s family is among the most disadvantaged in the area. Their house, built more than 10 years ago with bamboo pillars and an earthen floor, is now severely degraded and at risk of collapse, especially during storms.

The family of four relies on a single income, with two children still in school and no agricultural land to support themselves, leaving them in persistent hardship.