Elderly woman and four dogs live by vending

A 101-year-old woman is living on vending work while taking care of her four dogs.

Tran Thi Tham and her four dogs wait for customers at their vending cart

Tran Thi Tham held a small dog tight while sitting by her small vending cart. She said this made both her and the dog warmer while Hanoi was experiencing the coldest days of winter.

"I usually get up at 5 am and go to collect scrap metal and then return home and push the vending cart to a corner near the Dong Xuan Market at 9 am," Tham said. "I took my four dogs with me and we would sit here to sell our small wares until late at night."

Tham said that she was born in the northern province of Hai Duong but has come to work in Hanoi for 50 years.

"I used to do various hard jobs to earn a living here," she said. "I don't mind hard work but my life is always hard. I have two children but my son has died and my daughter went to work abroad and never contacted me. I feel so lonely so I keep some dogs as my friends. I feel happier when living with them beside me."

Despite her old age, the woman said that she luckily had very good health.

"Thanks to my good health, I rarely stop working," she said. "And I've also received lots of help and donations from other people. They buy my goods or give me some money or give the dogs some food."

Tham said that she does not spend much. She loves her simple life and only has to pay rent of VND1 million a month and buy food for her and her dogs.

"Luckily I don't have to pay for medicine," she said. "I always feel better when working."