Nguyen Phi Vu, his wife Pham Thi Kim Ngan and 3 children have been living here for 6 years. They pay VND3 million ($140)/month to hire this 2m2 house.

Vu said the rent is high because this house facing the street and Vu can open his “motorbike repair shop” on the yard in front of the house.

Vu’s house also sells sugarcane juice there. Income from these jobs is enough to feed kids.

The couple has 3 kids. The eldest daughter Bao Tran is a 6th grader. The second son name Bao Thanh is a 4th grader and the youngest son Bao Chau is five years old.

The house has an entresol, which is the bed of Bao Tran and Bao Thanh.

The parents are afraid that this entresol is not enough for their kids in the next few years.

The kids help their parents after school.

The door is about 1m wide.

Ngan has to cook outdoor.

There is a small toilet near the house. At night, the family arranges their some furnitures in the toilet. The door of the toilet is utilized to hang a chopping-board, spoons, chopsticks together with towels.

Ngan said they could not use the toilet at night as it is full with things.

The kids play around the house all day and only get into the house to sleep at night.

The most valuable asset of the family such as motorcycles, sugarcane juice presser... are covered with a piece of cloth and locked in front of the house.

This family usually has dinner at 11pm.

The family watches TV before bed.