A life burdened with the weight of... collecting scrap metal.

Enduring rain and sun

In the sweltering midday heat of summer, I came across a woman who makes a living collecting scrap metal, taking a break on Xuan 68 Street. Striking up a conversation, I learned she was Tran Thi Xuan Hang from Area 4, Huong So Ward ( Hue City). Counting her age on her fingers, she said, "I was born in 1964 and have over 40 years of experience in the scrap metal business." She married at 19; her husband was a farmer with an unstable income. She chose scrap metal collecting as her starting point. With just around 1 million dong in her pocket, she could confidently call out, "Anyone want scrap metal?" throughout the neighborhood.

In the early days of her job, pushing a cart to collect scrap metal, she said she felt both embarrassed and ashamed. At night, her hands and feet ached, and she frequently caught colds and fevers from being exposed to rain and sun. There were times she lost money because she didn't know how to sort the scrap metal and bought it at the wrong price… But for all these years, she hasn't dared to take a day off collecting scrap because her whole family depends on her income. Admittedly, Ms. Hang has invested in her means of livelihood. Initially, she bought a pair of carrying poles, later switched to a tricycle, then a rickshaw, but ultimately, a bicycle remains her last resort because it can easily reach even the most remote alleys and streets.

Although younger than Mrs. Hang, Mrs. Tran Thi Thuy from Thuy Chau ward (Huong Thuy town), nearing 50, has also been in the business for over 30 years. She smiled sadly as she recounted: "My mother also worked in the scrap metal business, so I followed in her footsteps at 18. Whenever I go out, I always put on protective clothing, thick gloves, and cover my face all day to suit the job. Sometimes I don't even think of myself as a woman because I never use makeup, so it was a struggle to find a husband. Now, at this age, there are many weddings and funerals in my hometown. Every time someone invites me, my heart races; I rarely go. Because I have to prepare my clothes and put on makeup, and I can't afford a new outfit all year."

The women who collect scrap metal are usually middle-aged, but some are even grandmothers. Each one has a heart-wrenching story. Every day, they travel 30-40 kilometers to collect scrap metal. According to them, they have to travel a lot to find a large quantity of scrap metal; they can't stay in one place because people don't always have scrap metal to sell. Their biggest worry is the rainy season, when homeowners are reluctant to move their belongings, and the scrap metal business slows down... Their lunch break lasts about ten minutes, during which they eat a 15,000 VND meal and rest on their carts or under a tree to escape the sun.

Danger lurks

The three-wheeled cart serves both as a vehicle for collecting scrap metal and a resting place for the women. Like Ms. Hue and Ms. Hanh, who usually park their carts in the Truong An area every day, they still bring their children along on these scrap metal collection carts. The children are too young to endure the hardships of earning a living under the sun and rain alongside their mothers. Sometimes, the scrap metal becomes new toys in their hands. Most people in this profession have low incomes, living hand-to-mouth. They might earn between 50,000 and 200,000 dong a day, but some days they earn nothing at all. This means they have no income to cover their expenses. Despite working tirelessly all day, I was quite surprised when many women revealed that their monthly income doesn't exceed 5 million dong. Therefore, on days when they buy a lot of scrap metal, they reward themselves by going home early to play with their children.

Having moved from the countryside to the city to make a living, Ms. Do My Anh faced considerable stress cycling through busy streets carrying scrap metal. She shuddered as she recalled, "I was carrying about 30kg and kept falling. When crossing the road with the bulky scrap metal on my bike, I couldn't raise my hand to signal. The scrap metal was cumbersome, so I often got into collisions; luckily, I didn't die." Not to mention, she often suffered cuts and bleeding on her hands and feet from sharp pieces of metal and glass. Having collected scrap metal since she was a young woman, Ms. Anh has encountered all kinds of people, including an old man who harassed her. She learned from experience: "Whenever a man asks me to come into his house to clean up beer cans, I ask them to take them outside instead of going inside to pick them up. I have to take care of myself." There are currently no policies to protect scrap metal collectors. For many women, this is a suitable profession because stopping means no income, no pension to allow them to rest and relax when they are exhausted.

“When the sweat dries, the money is gone; if you get sick, you’re doomed, oh dear,” I was haunted by the women’s cries, as they are the main breadwinners in their families. When I asked about their aspirations in their profession, Ms. Nguyen Thi Me, from An Hoa ward, shared, “I want to be covered by social insurance and health insurance, to have my rights protected while working, or simply to receive respect and recognition from society.” She added, “The greatest sorrow for scrap collectors is the humiliation of facing disapproving glances from neighbors… and the heartache of being harassed and bullied by homeowners who suspect theft due to the presence of scrap collectors.”

"In this digital age, even buying scrap metal requires updating and connecting with homeowners, but we are so poor that few people have smartphones; at best, they have basic 'brick' phones, so we can't connect with many orders," Ms. Hang said sadly.

Each person has their own circumstances and different hardships, but they still cherish faith and hope, using their honest labor to support their families and ensure their children receive a proper education. I learned this when I heard the story of Ms. Thuy, whose daughter received a scholarship and is studying abroad in China… The poor mother's face lit up when she talked about her daughter, and that is also the purpose of life for many women who, despite struggling to make ends meet, never give up.

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