Seeing so many people in Vietnam who are victims of Agent Orange, prisoners of war, or trapped in difficult circumstances they were born into, they still hold their heads high and get to work. Whether they sell small handmade items, lottery tickets, basic household goods, homemade candies, gums, show casing their talent despite their disabilities or whatever they can create and get their hands on, they do so without any assistance from the government. There's no access to education, no food stamps, no health insurance, no help with rent, no school grants, no homeless shelters, no foster care, no loans, and no grants. They are too impoverished to be idle or unproductive. They can't afford to do nothing. They continue to toil until exhaustion, whether sick or in challenging weather conditions like rain, storms, or scorching sun. Literally no days off or they will starve. Some have to bring their babies and kids along, earning as little as 5 dollars or less a day, sometimes even losing money. It's especially heart-wrenching to witness children as young as 5 years old selling gum or lottery tickets on the streets, deprived of a normal childhood, with no money for school or decent clothing, just surviving day by day. It's tough out there, and every time I return, I can't help but cry when I see such suffering. But simultaneously, I admire their resilience, their unwavering work ethic, and the immense sacrifices they make. They don't have time for self-pity; their only focus is on surviving in this harsh world. Everybody have their own story. But just because someone else's story seems worse, that doesn't make yours any less valid. We are all brothers and sister and the best we can do is support each other and continue to persevere by the grace of God.
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