Saigon is always bright, always crowded, always people running back and forth. But amidst that bustle, there are still people who live very quietly. They make ends meet, sleeping wherever they can, and for a long time... no longer have a full night's sleep.
1.Temporary sleep in the middle of a brightly lit city
If you pass by some familiar streets, you will see old people sleeping on cardboard, and people picking up bottles and scraps leaning against carts taking a nap.
They sleep amid the noise of cars, wind and dust, and the worry of whether they will earn enough money to eat tomorrow.
The city is still beautiful, but in that beauty there are lives that just want one night to lie in peace without fear of rain or wind.
2. Workers, shippers, poor laborers - the real "sleep-deprived" people
Saigon has many opportunities, but for many people, opportunities come with pressure to make a living.
Workers work overtime continuously to make enough money for accommodation
Shipper runs until midnight
Poor workers have to sleep for a few hours to catch the early shift
Sleep for them is not rest, but just a short period of time to recover.
3. Wandering children - when childhood does not get enough sleep
Many children have to follow their parents to collect scraps and bottles, sell lottery tickets, or help sell goods until late at night.
Some children fall asleep in strollers, others sit close to the sidewalk waiting for their parents to finish work.
In their childhood, they did not have a soft mattress, did not have a private room, and did not have the safety that a child should have.
4. Why can't many people "sleep peacefully"?
Living costs are too high
There is no home to return to
Uncertain work
Weak health but no money for treatment
Take care of your family back home
When sleep becomes a luxury, life is truly difficult.
5. What can we do to help them?
We may not be able to completely change someone's life.
But we can help them suffer a little less.
One night meal
A bottle of cool water
A clean blanket
Or a small amount to support temporary housing, medicine, and meals
Very small things, but for people in difficulty, they mean a lot.
Finaly.
Saigon is still beautiful, still lively, still the city that never sleeps.
But when you look closer, you will see that there are people who lose sleep not because they are busy, but because life has too many worries.
And if possible, let's help them have a more peaceful night's sleep in this city.
Transforming Lives Through Health, Education, and Environment: OneHealth Foundation Empowering Families, Youth, and Women for a Brighter Tomorrow.