Saigon’s mobile barbershop offers free haircuts to children who lost parents to COVID-19
Monday, January 24, 2022, 13:36 GMT+7
Two Vietnamese barbers in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday started welcoming their special little guests who had lost their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic to their mobile barber truck.
The custom-made four-seater barbershop is the brainchild of Do Van Tien, 23, and Nguyen Thanh Manh, 24.
The mobile barbershop has been parked near the Binh Tan Community Center in Ho Chi Minh City.
Responding to the collective effort of the city’s Federation of Labor and Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper in organizing the 'Tet Cho Em' (Tet for Children) program, Tien and Manh decided to spend their weekend offering free haircuts to nearly 200 orphans in the area, given their tight schedule prior to the Lunar New Year holiday, which is around one week away.
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| Nguyen Thanh Manh is pictured giving a free haircut to five-year-old Kim An Nguyen, whose grandfather and father lost their lives to the coronavirus last year. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre |
The idea behind the mobile barbershop came about as a way to support the underpriviledged children.
Manh has just finished his three-year military service, during which he understood the challenges in fighting against the pandemic and the difficulties of people who lost their relatives.
“For children who no longer see their parents, a new year without their most beloved will be so tough for them,” said Manh while doing a haircut.
Sitting on a plastic chair, Lu Thi Phung, 41, tenderly watched her 12-year-old twin children, Luu My Phuong and Luu Duc Phuoc, having their hair cut.
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| A mother gives a tender touch to her son's new haircut. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre |
“Their father passed away in August, so our lives are now bearing a heavier financial burden,” Phung shared, her eyes filled with sudden tears.
Phung’s family is not coming back to their hometown on the upcoming Tet holiday but has to stay in the city to make ends meet from their seasonal jobs.
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| Women who lost husbands to the COVID-19 pandemic are seen chatting while waiting for their children. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre |
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| Nine-year-old Vo Le Ngoc Han, who lost her father and grandma during the COVID-19 pandemic, is sitting with her mother to wait for her turn. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre |
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| Do Van Tien and Nguyen Thanh Manh take pride in their meaningful job, offering free haircuts to children who lost their parents during the pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre |
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