VietNamNet Bridge - Leaving home at 2am, people in Lien Hiep 1 hamlet in Son Tinh District, Quang Ngai province--dive in the Tra River for seven hours a day to find gravel to sell for construction material traders. Every day they carry tens of tons of gravel but each of them earns only a few US dollars a day.



The “gravel carrying village” is located on the bank of Tra River. There are more
 than 120 households in the village, totaling nearly 400 people who exploiting
gravel from the Tra River in the rainy season.




The village begins working in the early morning. After several hours of
soaking in water, each family collects 3-4 cubic meters of gravel.
Leaving home from 2am, they take time for breakfast on the boat.





The bustling atmosphere in the village of "gravel carriers" in the morning.
Each basket of gravel weighs up to 40 kg. Two people carry a basket from the
boat from to place on the head of the third person on the bank. This is a very
 hard job but this three-member family earns only VND200,000 ($10) per day.





Because each basket of stones weighing 30-40 kg has to take up to two
people carrying from beneath the boat to the top of the third
to reduce headaches, thick mortar fitted hats, wool hats, and caps are worn.





Mr. Tran Quang Minh, Chair of Son Tinh Town, Son Tinh District said that the Lien Hiep 1
village has been called by locals as "Ghe (Boat) Village," because the villagers
 earn their living from the river. In the summer, they use boats to go fishing.
In the rainy season, they exploit gravel from the river.




"Thanks to their hard-work, children of Lien Hiep 1 village have opportunities to study.
The ratio of households of hunger, poverty and illiteracy has significantly reduced
 in recent years,” said Minh.




By regular soaking in water, the arms and legs of the
 villagers are cracked and calloused.


VNE