About 35km from Tay Ninh City towards the Vietnam-Cambodia border, arriving at the Border Market, we caught sight of an elderly woman selling noodles, soup, and bread by the counter which was almost completely ruined. Her name is Dang Thi Ngoc Em, born in 1951, currently living in Ben Cau Hamlet, Bien Gioi Commune, Chau Thanh District, Tay Ninh Province.
Her husband died early and the children were also married whose income is not stable to support her. She is currently alone in a charity house (built by local government), which is now also severely degraded, looking around the house – we can not find any valuable things but a simple altar. The driver who drove us to her house said: “Looking up – I’m not richer than anyone, but looking down, there are still many people poorer than me. Comparing with her situation, I’m still very lucky.” Neighbors around her house shared: “She left the house open, no need to close the door – even thieves come in, they couldn’t find anything to steal”.
She has been suffering from joint pain with difficult and painful walking. She has to take medicine every day, but she still tries to work all daylight because she thinks: “In the market, people only sell in the morning, if you sell all day, you can earn more”. Being tired after a hard working day, she’s exhausted to go back home – she often sleeps at the market through nights.
When we talked to her, we were surprised that she sold Banh Mi with meat, sausages, etc., for only 5,000 VND. She explained why the prize is so cheap: “I’ll have more customers if I sell with cheap prize, because most of my customers are poor workers”. With such a cheap price, it will not be surprised that the profit she earned is 60,000 VND/day. Talking to us, her eyes were red, her tears were about to fall, the way she tried to smile and hold back tears make us heart-broken. Every one of us always wishes to have peace and reunion when we get older, but for her, it is too difficult and unrealistic.
Understanding and sharing with her unfortunate situation, on the morning of June 18, 2019, Hung Duy Company cooperated with the Tay Ninh Women’s Union, Chau Thanh Women’s Union & Bien Gioi Women’s Union to visit her and conducted the ceremony “Giving capital to support poor women to start a business”. At the ceremony, Hung Duy Company gave her a gift worth 8,500,000 VND (including 1 bread cart, the cash to buy materials, neccessary tools and a gift to encourage her).
At the ceremony, she couldn’t hold back her emotions, she cried & shared: “I’m really happy – thanks to Women’s Union for introducing my situation to Hung Duy. Thanks for understanding, encouraging, advising me how to run business these days and now also sponsor me with capital, a new bread cart, I can sell better than before, thank you very much”.
Borrow a collectible saying instead of the ending: “If you have a life to live, not only live for yourself”. Women will easily empathize with women, Tay Ninh people will always love Tay Ninh people and Vietnamese people will protect Vietnamese people. Be ressured to work and live well because “Hung Duy is always with you”. For Hung Duy Company – Happiness is sharing.