"Raising a child alone and making a living from farming is truly hard. But I believe that with more knowledge and the proper support, I can change my life."
At 11 p.m., when most of Hoa Chau Ward in Hue City is fast asleep, Ms. Be's day is just beginning. She harvests and washes her vegetables by lamplight so they reach the market by midnight. On good days, she sells out by 1 or 2 a.m. Then it's back to the garden, headlamp on, to pick more, and back to the market again until 3 or even 4 a.m. Only then does she go home to rest. By 6 a.m., she's in the garden once more, sowing seeds, spreading fertilizer, watering, and weeding, while also looking after her sister and her young son.
Ms. Be, a 50-year-old woman, works tirelessly from late night to early morning, growing and selling vegetables while caring for her young son and sister.
At 50, Ms. Be has been doing this on her own for a long time. In 2014, after more than two years of living with her husband, she decided to start a new life. She and her son moved in with her older sister, who also lived alone, and the two sisters have grown vegetables together ever since, a trade passed down through their family for generations.
It's honest work, but not an easy living. Ms. Be earns about VND 200,000 to 300,000 (USD 8 to 12) a day, and nearly half of that goes back into production costs. Prices rise and fall with the traders, the weather in Hue can be harsh, and like many farmers around her, she buys seeds and fertilizer on credit. When the harvest is sold, the debts are paid first, and there's little left over. Then the cycle starts again. Last year's floods even washed away the family's seed supply. And all the numbers, the costs, the earnings, the debts, were simply "calculated in her head."
In late 2025, Ms. Be heard about a new project through the Women's Union in Hoa Chau Ward, a local partner of Children of Vietnam (COV). COV staff and a team of experts visited her home to learn about her daily life. After several rounds of assessment, she was confirmed as a participant in late February 2026. After many years without any support program, the news brought hope, not only for her but for the wider community.
One of the first things she learned was how to manage money: how to record income and expenses, plan household spending, and make the most of what she has. These may sound like small skills, but for Ms. Be they changed how she looks at everyday life.
"Before, I thought financial management was very simple, something anyone could do. But after joining the training, I realized it is something completely different. Now I know how to make more reasonable financial decisions for my family and avoid falling into deeper debt and accumulating interest."
The project brought kindness along with knowledge. Small gifts at Lunar New Year and on International Women's Day touched her deeply. She used them for little things that matter, like a new outfit for herself or her children, some treats for Tet, and joining in Women's Day activities with her peers. She chose to cover seeds and fertilizer from other resources, but the support still eased some of the pressure and helped her feel more confident among friends and neighbors. To her, it felt less like a handout and more like "a helping hand" and a sign that someone was walking beside rural women like her.
Ms. Be also appreciates that the project takes time to understand what local families really need, so the support fits real life and doesn't repeat what hasn't worked before. She believes women should have a seat at the table, taking part in community discussions and helping decide which crops and livelihoods suit their area best.
Challenges remain, but the biggest change may be the way she sees what's ahead. The woman who once calculated everything in her head has started to plan. She no longer farms only out of habit. She knows that planning and decision-making are part of her work, and that her voice and ideas can help shape not just her own future but her community's.
And so she keeps going, on the path she chose:
"Raising a child alone and making a living from farming is truly hard. But I believe that with more knowledge and the proper support, I can change my life."
