Chuong Thi Shich lives in a crumbling house by a forest in Lang Son Province.
Chuong Thi Shich, 66, has spent years living in isolation in a small, crumbling house by a forest of Na Chau Hamlet, Tri Le Commune in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son.
Her house, roughly 15 square metres in size, is filled not with furniture but with discarded items she has collected over time. The clutter leaves little space to move, and the roof and walls are severely damaged.
Shich suffers from a mild mental disorder and has received a monthly disability allowance of VND 1 million (USD 39) from the government since 2013. Her survival depends entirely on this allowance.
According to local authorities and residents, Shich lives in near-total isolation, rarely speaking to anyone. She has surrounded her home with barbed wire and dry branches for protection and often reacts aggressively when others approach, particularly during episodes of mental distress.
Shich's house lies next to a forest and far from others.
Nong Thi Kim, Shich’s sister-in-law and closest relative, said: “My house is over one kilometre away. I sometimes bring her food. On days when no one visits, she collects firewood and wild vegetables to survive. When she gets sick, she simply lies in bed and waits for the illness to pass.”
Shich’s only daughter, Chuong Thi Phong, 41, recalled her mother once worked at a local coal mine and had a brief relationship that ended after she gave birth. With no means to raise a child, Shich left her daughter in the care of her own parents.
“My grandparents were poor, so I couldn’t go to school,” Phong said. “Now I have four children, an ailing mother-in-law and no income to support my own mother. Every time I visit, she begs me to stay the night. It breaks my heart.”
Phong said that despite her mental illness, her mother has never harmed anyone and is gentle at heart.
The house where Shich lives was built by neighbors in 2007, but it has since deteriorated badly. The tin roof is riddled with holes, and the makeshift walls offer little protection from the elements. Rainwater leaks into the house from all sides.
Shich speaks little, but through broken sentences, she told Dantri/Dtinews reporters: "I have nothing to live on. My health is weak. The house is falling apart. I hope someone can help me build a better place to live."
Ha Quang Thanh, Chief of Office at the Tri Le Commune People’s Committee, confirmed Shich’s status as a poor, elderly, disabled resident living alone and unable to work. “Her living conditions are dire,” he said. “We sincerely appeal to philanthropists and Dantri/Dtinews readers to join hands and help her rebuild her home.”
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