Preserving the old profession in Vinh Thuan village

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, in Vinh Thuan commune (An Giang province), there are still people who persistently "keep the fire" of traditional crafts. For them, the craft their grandparents left behind is not only a way to make a living but also a source of pride, a way to preserve the soul of the countryside in a time of many changes.

Live with the profession

Visiting the Nhat Hao banana candy factory in Vinh Trinh hamlet, Vinh Thuan commune, I was impressed by the strong aroma of hot batches of banana candy ready to be baked. Mr. Nguyen Van Minh - owner of the Nhat Hao banana candy factory said that his family started making banana candy in 2014. By 2021, the banana candy making profession in Vinh Thuan commune was recognized as a traditional profession by the Provincial People's Committee.

Currently, Mr. Minh's family's products are certified as 3-star OCOP. "In about 2-3 days, I can make a batch of about 25kg of candy, selling it for 65,000 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, the profit is about 5,000 VND/kg. My wife and I are freelancers, without stable jobs. Although the income is not high, this job has supported the whole family, helping me have money to build a new house," Mr. Minh confided.

Banana candy production stages at Nhat Hao facility, Vinh Trinh hamlet, Vinh Thuan commune

Looking at the current advantages, few people know that Mr. Minh and his wife once went through a very difficult period to maintain their profession. Previously, all the steps were done manually, took a lot of time and had to hire workers, there was no stable output, costs increased, and there was almost no profit. For many months, the couple had to borrow money to maintain the workshop. Mr. Minh even thought about quitting his job and going to Ho Chi Minh City to work as a worker to have a more stable income.

Mrs. Pham Truc Ly - Mr. Minh's wife emotionally said: "The locality has supported capital to buy production machinery. Now, stages such as candy cutting, packaging, labeling... are all done by machine, so it is both fast and hygienic, saving labor costs, thereby increasing profits. During holidays and Tet, the demand for orders is very high, we have to make candy every day to deliver on time."

30 years of weaving

Leaving Mr. Minh’s establishment, I visited Mrs. Tran Thi Duyen’s family, one of the few households still maintaining the weaving profession in Vinh Trinh hamlet, Vinh Thuan commune. The front yard of the house is used as a place to dry weaving products. Inside the house, Mrs. Duyen is busy splitting long bamboo sticks to prepare for the next products.

While splitting bamboo, Ms. Duyen said: “This profession has been passed down in my family for three generations. It has been preserved for more than 30 years, from my grandmother, to my mother and now me. In the past, the whole village lived by weaving, every house did it, so people called it the weaving village. But now, weaving products are no longer popular, so many people have quit the profession. This profession is hard, the income is not high and not stable.”

According to Ms. Duyen, to create a durable and beautiful product, it is necessary to choose shiny, old and sturdy bamboo, so the selection of raw materials must be careful. The splitting and shaving process is also very difficult, requiring meticulousness and dexterity, otherwise the product can easily be distorted and not in the right shape.

Currently, the most ordered product of Ms. Duyen's family is bamboo. Some companies in Ca Mau province place orders in quantities of up to more than 1,000 pieces at a time. Each month, she knits 200-300 pieces, sells them for more than 30,000 VND/piece, and earns an income of 5-6 million VND/month. The busiest time is from October to November of the lunar calendar, when businesses prepare goods for Tet.

With the desire to maintain the traditional profession, Ms. Duyen often receives large orders, then divides them and instructs them to idle and middle-aged female workers who are unemployed in the area. She also finds sources of quality bamboo, orders them in large quantities and delivers them to the workers' homes. Those who are skillful and diligent can make 3-4 products a day, earning more than 200,000 VND/day.

According to Ms. Hoang Thi Huong - Secretary of Vinh Trinh Hamlet Party Cell, traditional occupations not only bring income to the people but also are a beauty and characteristic associated with local identity. In the coming time, the hamlet will survey and propose to the competent authorities to implement policies to support machinery, equipment and find outlets for products to contribute to preserving and developing traditional occupations in the future.

Article and photos: TUONG VI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giu-nghe-xua-noi-lang-que-vinh-thuan-a425160.html