Mother struggles to support family of six in Dien Bien

At the end of a dusty dirt road in Trung Phu Hamlet, Na Son Commune, stands a fragile house made of bamboo and rotting wooden planks. The roof, covered with old fibro-cement sheets, barely shields the family from the rain.

Inside the small house, there are almost no valuable belongings apart from a few dented cooking pots and several worn-out sets of clothes. Within the crumbling walls, six family members continue their daily fight against poverty.

Heavy burden on a single mother

The family’s main provider is 44-year-old Sung Thi Sua. Her husband, Hang A Minh, 51, and her brother-in-law, Hang A Lau, 42, were both born deaf and mute. Lau also suffers from mental illness.

Unable to work regularly, the two men can only do small household chores, leaving Sua to shoulder the entire burden of earning a living.

The family survives mainly on several small plots of hillside farmland with poor soil. Crop yields depend heavily on the weather, making income unstable.

“At times we don’t even have enough food. We have to eat cassava and wild vegetables to get through the day,” Sua said.

Her own health is not strong, yet she must continue working long hours in the fields.

Uncertain future for the children

Despite the hardship, Sua’s greatest comfort is her children. Her eldest daughter has already married and lives separately, but three younger children, Hang Thi Hoa, 15, Hang A Chi, 11, and Hang A Tenh, 5, are still in school.

“They are all obedient and eager to learn, but with our financial situation I don’t know how long I can keep them studying,” the mother said emotionally.

The family’s temporary house has also deteriorated badly. Wooden pillars are eaten by termites, the walls lean precariously and large gaps allow rainwater to leak inside whenever heavy storms hit.

Local authorities call for support

According to Hờ A Tà, chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Na Son commune, the household is among the most disadvantaged in the locality.

“With both the husband and brother-in-law unable to work and three young children to care for, Sua has to provide for the entire family alone. Their current home is only a temporary shelter and they cannot afford to build a new one,” he said.

Apart from a monthly disability allowance of VND 750,000 for Lau, the family has no stable income. All living expenses depend on Sua’s small-scale farming.

Local authorities hope that readers and charitable donors across the country will lend support so the family can build a safer house, giving the children a stable place to live and study.