For many residents of the garbage dump area, making a living from scavenging is not just a short-term story, but a long journey, sometimes lasting a lifetime, or even two or three generations within a family. It's also a time for these garbage collectors to nurture and cultivate noble dreams for themselves, their families, or simply to hope for a brighter future for their children and grandchildren.
1. Ms. Tran Thi Huyen (from Hamlet 8, Cu Ebur Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City) starts her day at 5 a.m. and finishes in the late afternoon. Following in her mother's footsteps and having been involved in garbage collection for 20 years, her work schedule is almost completely packed: waking up early to arrange everything, cooking and bringing lunch to eat right at the landfill, rushing home in the afternoon to prepare meals, and in the evening, urging her children to study...
The distance from Hamlet 8 to the landfill in Hoa Phu commune (Buon Ma Thuot city) is nearly 30 km, a round trip of almost 60 km. Almost all of her remaining time is spent scavenging, picking, and collecting garbage, leaving her exhausted. Yet, for the past 20 years, she has persevered, overcoming hardship with unwavering faith and a strong desire for a better life. There were times when she thought she should change direction, but ultimately, she chose the path of garbage scavenging to continue nurturing her dream of a brighter future. When asked about her happiness and dreams, she smiled gently: “Sometimes, when I find nice clothes while scavenging, I bring them home to wash and iron for my children. Watching my two children grow up day by day makes me very happy. Now, one of them is studying automotive technology at the Vietnam College of Industry and Trade ( Dak Lak campus). My children want to help me at the landfill, but I don't let them. I work hard, and I only hope that my children will have a better life and achieve success in the future.”
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| Each time a garbage truck arrives at the landfill, the scavengers eagerly await, hoping to find something they can sell to make a living. |
2. Also from Hamlet 8 (Cu Ebur Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City), Phung Thi Hong Phuong's joy in her work is also the common aspiration of those who make a living collecting trash: to collect as much trash as possible. Ten years of struggling to make a living have instilled in her a habit of being quick and agile in collecting and sorting. Clothes, bottles, and usable items are set aside to take home; plastic bags, aluminum, plastic, and scrap metal are gathered into a large piece of cloth about 4 square meters in size. When she has enough trash, Ms. Phuong quickly ties the four corners of the cloth, puts the "goods" on her head, and moves towards the waiting scrap collection vehicle.
Garbage piles upon garbage, the stench is overwhelming, but it's thanks to this garbage that Ms. Phuong can raise her three children, including her eldest daughter who is a third-year student at Van Hien University ( Ho Chi Minh City). To help her children achieve their dreams, Ms. Phuong has to work longer hours and harder than before. The hardest part is working at night; Ms. Phuong and her colleagues have to strain their eyes to observe and search for garbage under dim lights. Occupational accidents like slips, falls, and cuts have become commonplace. Looking into the distance, the mother confided: "My life has been hard, and I only rely on my children to grow up and become successful. My children are the motivation for their parents to strive, and I only hope they study hard and walk on bright paths, not the arduous and difficult garbage path that their parents have walked and are still walking."
When talking about her children, Ms. Huyen's eyes light up with happiness. She's happy that her children are filial, well-behaved, understand their parents' hardships, and strive in their studies. They've never been shy or ashamed, and even proudly tell their friends that their mother works as a garbage collector.
3. Besides Ms. Huyen and Ms. Phuong, at the Hoa Phu landfill, we also met many people with difficult lives from Hamlet 8, Cu Ebur Commune (Buon Ma Thuot City). The name Hamlet 8 was mentioned many times, prompting us to visit; this used to be the location of the city's waste collection site. The landfill operated in 1999, closed in 2020, and was relocated to Hoa Phu Commune.
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| The job of collecting garbage is hard work and involves many dangers. |
Village 8 is about 5 km from the city center, and the land is quite arid. The March sun in the Central Highlands seems to scorch every tree and blade of grass. Mr. Bui Van Hien, the head of Village 8, knows the area by heart when he talks about the place he has been involved with for decades. Village 8 has about 900 households with over 3,700 inhabitants, mostly people from Hue, Ha Tinh , and Nghe An who came here to make a living. Since the Cu Ebur landfill was established, many families in neighborhood groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have chosen this place to earn a living and escape poverty. When the Cu Ebur landfill ceased operations, many households in Village 8 continued to move to Hoa Phu to work.
The two old and new landfills have created livelihood opportunities for many households, even though they know the work is arduous, difficult, and even dangerous. For example, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong's family, through hard work and various jobs, including the arduous task of scavenging for garbage, managed to save enough capital to buy land, build a house, and educate their children. Similarly, Mrs. Tran Thi Nhung, through careful saving and scavenging, has now opened a small grocery store. Mr. Le Thanh Tung's family, once one of the poorest households in the village, has now escaped poverty and acquired a used car to start a new livelihood. Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong and his wife, who once worked various jobs, with his wife diligently collecting extra income during the off-season, have now saved enough to build a spacious house, fulfilling their dreams.
The gains and losses of those who have been and are still working as garbage collectors today are linked to their hard work, diligence, sweat, tears, and even the sacrifice of their entire lives. Amidst the chaotic, dusty, and foul-smelling garbage dumps, there are always people tirelessly earning a living. They not only collect garbage but also cherish, nurture, and cultivate dreams and hopes for a better future, for a different life with positive changes for themselves, their families, and loved ones.
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/phong-su-ky-su/202504/doi-rac-bai-cuoi-98e0590/
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