Making a living with a stack of lottery tickets.

Walking dozens of kilometers each day, weaving through cafes, sidewalks, and small markets, lottery ticket vendors are making a living through patience and hope.

Despite her poor health, Ms. Phan Thi Thuy (far right), residing in Rach Gia ward, still travels around selling lottery tickets every day to make a living. Photo: CAM TU

As a matter of routine, around 5 a.m. every day, Ms. Phan Thi Thuy (48 years old), residing in Rach Gia ward, begins her workday. Under the dim yellow streetlights, her frail figure and limping gait invite customers to buy lottery tickets. Having suffered misfortune, at the age of 5, Ms. Thuy contracted polio, causing muscle atrophy and a deformed foot bone in her left leg, making walking difficult. She has stumbled and fallen many times.

Previously, when he was healthy, Mr. Vo Ngoc Nguyen (57 years old) - Ms. Thuy's husband - worked as a construction worker. But since contracting pneumonia, his health has deteriorated, making him unable to do strenuous work, so Mr. Nguyen chose to sell lottery tickets on the streets to make a living. Ms. Thuy and her husband left their hometown in My Thuan commune and moved to Rach Gia ward to make a living selling lottery tickets for more than 6 years. Ms. Thuy shared: "Every day, my husband and I sell 500 lottery tickets. With the profit we earn, we cover our living expenses and pay monthly rent. The small amount left over I save for when we get sick." Besides selling lottery tickets, she also collects scrap metal to sell to earn a little extra money to support her son's education.

Working freelance doesn't restrict your schedule, but Thuy and her husband rarely get any rest. The constant worry of unsold lottery tickets leading to a loss of capital keeps them busy, and they work tirelessly until 10 pm every day. For many years, during Tet (Lunar New Year), Thuy has temporarily set aside the joy of family reunions, and she and her husband are constantly busy selling lottery tickets. Taking advantage of the surge in demand during Tet, they choose to work throughout the holiday to earn extra income and cover their daily expenses. According to Thuy, the worst thing about selling lottery tickets is the rainy and windy days when the tickets don't sell, wasting their efforts and depleting their meager savings.

When asked about her dreams, Ms. Thuy confided, "My husband and I dream of having a small house to live in, to escape the monthly rent worries, and to have less pressure at work." After saying this, Ms. Thuy's eyes were heavy with sadness. She understood that this dream was still far out of reach, so for now, she could only save every penny. She hoped to soon have enough capital to open a small lottery ticket stall, instead of having to travel back and forth as her legs weakened and her mobility diminished.

In the scorching midday sun of May, Mr. Nguyen Van Thang (61 years old), residing in Tri Ton commune, still walks along the streets selling lottery tickets. Having been involved in this profession for nearly 10 years, he's become accustomed to the daily "hit or miss" situation. On good days, he earns a decent income; on slow days, even meals become a struggle. Without land to cultivate, lacking the strength to work, and without savings, selling lottery tickets on the street is the easiest option for Mr. Thang.

Thanks to his diligent efforts in soliciting customers and traveling around markets, cafes, and crowded places, he sells an average of 200 lottery tickets daily. His daily profit is around 200,000 VND, and sometimes, when lucky customers win, he receives tips and buys more tickets to support him. According to Mr. Thang, selling lottery tickets is an unstable job with many risks such as robbery, being cheated out of money, and traffic accidents. Recently, Mr. Thang was tricked into exchanging a winning ticket for a fake one, losing 1.4 million VND, not to mention the times he was robbed by criminals.

Many street lottery ticket vendors in An Giang province couldn't hide their joy upon hearing the news that a National Assembly representative from the province proposed supporting social insurance contributions, and they hope this proposal will be approved. "I'm very happy to hear that the National Assembly representative from the province proposed supporting social insurance contributions for street lottery ticket vendors. In reality, the daily earnings from selling lottery tickets are barely enough to cover living expenses; it's difficult to save. If social insurance is provided, street lottery ticket vendors will have some money to live on when their health no longer allows them to continue, so they'll worry less," Mr. Thang shared.

CAM TU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/muu-sinh-cung-xap-ve-so-a485459.html