Vietnamese Fishermen

Vietnam is constantly changing, and a significant amount of foreign investment has entered the country in recent years and controls on travel within the country have been relaxed. Urbanization is increasing with growing numbers of farmers and some fishermen leaving the country to escape discrimination. Living in the Highland’s, inhabitants suffer great discrimination, even from the government, who does little to help them.

Life is very hard in rural districts of Vietnam. Although there has been an important flow of foreign investment, it has been focused on the industrial sector. In contrast, the government, which has responsibility for the agricultural sector, has almost no money to invest in this cooperative in the northern region of Hoa Binh. Farmers have no agricultural machinery and carry out heavy tasks manually. But they did buy a communal television, which is placed under a small tent in the village where residents bring chairs so they can watch the wonders of the world on a small screen. The young Vietnamese children can now see what is available outside of their village, and it becomes an additional incentive for them to migrate to cities.

            It is difficult to imagine what it would be like living excluded from the world for you entire life, until one day there is a small gateway that shows you all that the world really has to offer. Many of the Vietnamese fishermen inherited their occupation from their fathers, who inherited it from their father, and so on. The occupation is because of tradition, and not commonly because of passion. For these people fishing because they thought they had no other option, now have a clear vision of what their life could become. The emigration of the beautiful countryside has many positive benefits, primarily happier lives for those who take them; however, the increasing amount of emigrants means an increasing amount of immigrants, and many urban areas do not have enough room for these people.