[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Mouhya and his two compatriots looked around before confidently stepping into a diner on Tu Lien Street, Tay Ho District, at noon on the last day of October.
“It feels nice not to have people staring at us with curiosity like when we first arrived,” said 28-year-old Mouhya from Somalia. Mouhya’s friend showed the names of a few dishes on his phone to Nguyen Thi Thao, the restaurant owner, before quietly sitting down.
“They don’t speak Vietnamese, so we communicate entirely using translation tools on our phones,” Ms. Thao explained.
For nearly three months, residents in Nhat Tan and Tu Lien Wards of Tay Ho District have become familiar with groups of black men walking around the streets or doing manual jobs like washing dishes and carrying loads at peach and kumquat gardens.
Do Ngoc Hanh, a 36-year-old owner of a local boarding house, said most of these individuals come from African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Somalia and are staying in his apartments.
“I have over 150 people renting from me. They include men, single women, and families with children,” Hanh said. “Over three months ago, a few foreigners came to rent rooms, and by word of mouth, nearly all three houses are now full.”
These Africans primarily came to Vietnam intending to work as English teachers, but without finding jobs, they now do manual labor to make a living.
“They said that English centers in Vietnam only hire native teachers, so it’s tough for them to find work. Some came here with hopes of a better life because life back home is too hard,” Hanh said.
Manfred Fregene, 42, has been working as a loader since he first arrived here in May, earning 50,000 VND per hour. His daily income is enough to buy food for his eight children—five boys and three girls, ages 1 to 16.
Fregene shared that he used to work in real estate in Nigeria, but the economy had been struggling for several years, and security was unstable. Hoping for a safer life, he originally planned to take his family to Canada but eventually shifted his plans to Vietnam.
“Some friends of mine in Vietnam said this is a nice, safe country to live in, so I wanted to come and build a life here,” said the Nigerian man. Renting a room in a three-story house with over a dozen compatriots has helped his family feel less isolated in a foreign land.
Manfred Fregene and his children have been overstaying their visas by two months but are unable to return home. “We don’t know where to get the money for plane tickets and to pay the visa overstay fines,” he said. The family also owes rent for the past few months.
About 500 meters from Fregene’s lodging, Deborah, 46, from Nigeria, came to Vietnam hoping to earn a good income to improve her life. In her five months here, she found an English teaching job in Thai Binh, earning 450,000 VND per hour. A few weeks ago, her contract was not renewed, leaving her with a visa valid for nearly two more years. Deborah rented a place in Tay Ho District while waiting to find a new job. In the meantime, she’s been taking on any work she can find, from helping with masonry, to lifting heavy items, to cleaning houses.
Mouhya came to Vietnam in August. He learned about Vietnam through the media and some friends. “I have teaching skills. When I was in Somalia, I was a teacher, so I wanted to continue this work when I arrived here,” said the 28-year-old Somali man.
For the first two months, he worked as an English teacher in the outskirts of Hanoi, earning 420,000 VND per hour. For the past three weeks, Mouhya has been unemployed. Despite hoping for a good income and a better life, his visa is expiring next week, and since he hasn’t found a new job, he plans to return home.
Nguyen Thi Thao, the owner of a diner on Tu Lien Street, often helps African workers by hiring them to wash dishes and help prepare vegetables in exchange for lunch and dinner, even though she has enough staff. Occasionally, when local residents need extra help with carrying loads, construction work, or farm labor, she helps connect them.
“They’re friendly, many are gentle, but the language barrier makes communication difficult,” she said.
A resident in Tu Lien Ward mentioned that he once hired several African workers to assist with building and renovating his home. However, he noted they lacked the skills and finesse of Vietnamese workers and often asked for higher wages. “I hired them mainly to practice English. If I wanted efficient work, I’d hire Vietnamese workers,” he said.
Landlord Do Ngoc Hanh also supports unemployed Africans by creating a Zalo chat group with friends to post job opportunities. People like Manfred Fregene and Deborah, who bear the weight of providing for their families, are genuinely looking for work and are diligent. Others are less inclined, often arriving late or negotiating fees, leading to dissatisfaction among employers.
A representative from the Tay Ho District People’s Committee said they have noticed a portion of Africans living in the area long-term. Unable to find jobs matching their original purpose, they’ve had to resort to various labor roles like loading and odd jobs. “Managing this workforce is challenging as they don’t have stable jobs,” the representative noted.
He also added that Tay Ho District Police have been in contact with embassies to gather information on these workers. For those with expired visas, authorities are working on tracking them and arranging for their return home.
Dr. Kieu Thanh Nga, from the Institute for South, West, and African Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), said that due to difficult economic conditions in some African countries, many workers seek opportunities in other countries, including Vietnam, to earn an income and improve their lives.
For “African labor neighborhoods” in Vietnam, authorities need to monitor visa statuses regularly and closely cooperate with embassies to resolve arising issues.
“African people are honest and friendly, but prolonged unemployment and instability can lead to issues of public order, social safety, and law violations,” Dr. Nga said.
Source: https://vnexpress.net/xom-lao-dong-chau-phi-o-ha-noi-4805054.html
WORD BANK:
compatriot /kəmˈpeɪ.tri.ət/ (n): người đồng hương
diner /ˈdaɪ.nɚ/ (n): quán cơm, quán ăn
stare at sb/sth /ster/ [B2] (v): nhìn chằm chằm ai/cái gì
manual job /ˈmæn.ju.əl/ [B2] (n): công việc tay chân
carry load (v): bốc vác
loader /ˈləʊdər/ (n): người làm việc bốc vác, cửu vạn
boarding house /ˈbɔːr.dɪŋ ˌhaʊs/ (n): nhà trọ
word of mouth /ˌwɝːd.əvˈmaʊθ/ (idiom): truyền miệng
struggling /ˈstrʌɡ.lɪŋ/ (adj): khó khăn
shift one’s plan (v): chuyển hướng
overstay one’s visa (v): quá hạn visa
visa overstay fine (n): phạt quá hạn visa
owe /oʊ/ (v): nợ
take on + job/task [C1] (v): nhận làm việc gì đó
help with masonry /ˈmeɪ.sən.ri/ (v): phụ vữa
language barrier /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪdʒ ˈber.i.ɚ/ (n): rào cản ngôn ngữ
finesse /fɪˈnes/ (n): sự khéo léo
bear the weight of providing for their families (v): chịu gánh nặng cơm áo gạo tiền
genuinely /ˈdʒen.ju.ɪn.li/ [B2] (adv): thực sự
diligent /ˈdɪl.ə.dʒənt/ (adj): chăm chỉ
inclined /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ [C2] (adj): sẵn lòng làm việc
negotiate /nəˈɡoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ [C1] (v): mặc cả
People’s Committee (n): UBND
portion /ˈpɔːr.ʃən/ [C1] (n): bộ phận
match sth /mætʃ/ (v): phù hợp với cái gì
resort to sth /rɪˈzɔːrt/ [C2] (v): tìm tới cái gì như giải pháp cuối cùng, bất đắc dĩ
odd jobs /ˌɑːd ˈdʒɑːbz/ (n): việc vặt
embassy /ˈem.bə.si/ (n): đại sứ quán
Academy /əˈkæd.ə.mi/ (n): Viện Hàn lâm
resolve /rɪˈzɑːlv/ [C1] (v): giải quyết
arise /əˈraɪz/ [C1] (v): phát sinh
prolonged /prəˈlɑːŋd/ [C1] (adj): kéo dài
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