The Mekong Delta region, known as the granary of southern Vietnam, still has residents, especially those living on the edge of protected forests, living from hand to mouth.

Part 1: Living under poverty in the Mekong Delta granaryPart 2: Poverty from dependence, inadequate land managementPart 3: Effectiveness of poverty allowance a concernPart 4: Hunger erased, but poverty remains in the Delta  

Without a career, land or assets, their usual job is to catch fish, hunt wild birds and animals, or pick vegetables to earn their meager living.

Muong Bay Village is such a place of poverty. The locality lies on the edge of a forest in Vinh Thinh Commune of Bac Lieu Province’s Hoa Binh District.

“Locals from this village dive under the sea or penetrate into forests in any weather conditions, whether scorching sun or heavy rain, to find food,” said To Van Chien, 62, who is the ‘founder’ of the village.

24 years ago, Chien and his brother, To Van Hiep, settled in the area, which was then under the management of the forest authorities. Now, Muong Bay has 20 households, mainly made up of his relatives.

“I have eight sons and daughters, my brother has seven. They all have their own families and settled around here,” said Chien. “But they are still as poor as me, exposed to sunlight or rain twice a day in the forest or at sea to catch fish, crabs, and other animals.”

Since it wasn’t planned by local authorities, the village is isolated from surrounding residential areas and has no market or school. Most children living there don’t go to school and are illiterate. The whole village currently has only three children going to school. Chien’s youngest son is exceptional because he made it ‘up to the third grade class’.

Locals in Muong Bay Village prepare their fishing net and other tools to catch fish (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

It is this lack of education, combined with an absence of cultivable land, that leaves them mired in poverty.

The house that is considered the neatest in the village is owned by Huynh Thanh Son. It has a roof covered by metal sheets and walls made from coconut tree leaves. It cost VND5 million (US$240), which was provided in a loan from the local government.

Other houses have roofs and walls mainly made of coconut leaves. Some are held together with plastic sheets or bags or any available material.

Almost 50 inhabitants of the village share six drilled wells, and electricity is temporarily provided by a nearby company thanks to individual deals.

Other villages on the edge of U Minh Ha forest in Ca Mau Province’s U Minh District also face similar conditions.

Without land for cultivation, locals have to hire land from nearby farms for VND1.2 million ($58) a year for 2,000 square meters.

The amount of land owned by local administrative agencies is limited and insufficient to cover to all poor households, said Vo Van Nang – Party secretary of Khanh Thuan Commune in U Minh.

Even people with some land face problems thanks to the conflict of interests between farming and forest preservation.

“Most of the rice fields are located at the edge of forests. When they are flooded during the rainy season, farmers are not allowed to break dikes to let water out since rangers obey regulations to keep water to protect forests,” said Nang.