Waiting for charity gifts amid Covid-19
"Some people give me rice, sometimes it's a loaf of bread or money which is enough to live on," she said.
Cong, another homeless person from Danang, also sold lotto tickets before the new Covid-19 outbreak. "I couldn't pay my rent anymore or find any jobs during this time," he said. "I feel ashamed to be begging for food like this while I'm still healthy."
Huynh Thien Hoa collecting scraps for some money
Huynh Thien Hoa said just a month ago, she was still able to earn money from a little street stall. But now she collects scrap along Bach Dang Street for VND10,000 (USD0.43) to VND15,000 a day. She refused charity gifts, saying that she can still work.
Lam Thi Phuong said after they were abandoned by her husband, she brought her daughter from Soc Trang to HCM City. Phuong washed the dishes for a local restaurant to raise her daughter. But the restaurant was closed and she became unemployed. Thanks to kind people, they are not starving but have to sleep on the pavement as they cannot afford the rent anymore.
Le Minh Tan, director of HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said they would review the situation and bring the homeless people to social protection centres during the social distancing period as part of Covid-19 prevention efforts.
"The centres will help take care of the homeless people," he said.
