Lack of playground, workers' children hang around in rented rooms during the summer

Childhood in a cramped rented room

The rented room of less than 15m2 of Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Trang (from Tuyen Quang) is located deep in Hau Duong village, Thien Loc commune, Hanoi city. The rent is 1.5 million VND/month, the small room is just enough to fit a bed, the gas stove corner is next to a closed toilet and the little space left is where her 1-year-old son plays every day.

The older child in her house lives with grandparents in the countryside, and the 1-year-old child lives with parents. “With the older child, what makes me feel remorseful is not only the lack of time with the child but also the feeling that my child is disadvantaged compared to other children. With the youngest, seeing the child just playing around in the room, it's very pitiful. Near the boarding house, public space for young children is very limited. If you want to take your child out to play in the true sense, the family must go to the inner city area, to shopping centers or paid playgrounds”.

Sharing the same situation of renting a room in Thien Loc commune, Mr. Tran Van Nghia (from Phu Tho province) also has a similar worry. His total income is about 12 million VND/month, his wife's income is about 7 million VND/month. With 19 million VND per month, the family of 4 people has to save every penny.

More than 2 million VND for rent, electricity and water; 4-5 million VND for tuition fees for two children in kindergarten and elementary school; about 6-7 million VND for food and living expenses. After all expenses, the remaining amount is insignificant.

Therefore, family trips only stop at a few times taking children to inner-city parks in Hanoi.

This summer, he continues to send his two children back to his hometown for his paternal grandparents to take care of. The younger child's summer school is expensive, and the older child's elementary school, he is not at ease to stay home alone when his parents go to work all day.

Being away from my child is already sad, but thinking about my child being here, there is no place to play, lingering in the rented room, it's even more pitiful" - the male worker confided.

Spiritual care for young children of workers

Not only lacking stable accommodation, many worker families are also lacking minimal space for children to play, exercise and develop their spirits.

According to records, in many boarding houses around industrial parks, children mainly play in cramped common yards or in boarding rooms. Many parents are worried when their children spend too much time on phones and TVs because there is no suitable entertainment place...

This reality also poses an urgent requirement for the construction of facilities serving workers' lives, especially space for children.

According to the Project "Supporting workers in industrial parks and export processing zones in caring for and raising children in the period 2025 - 2028" of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, one of the goals by 2028 is that each Provincial and City Labor Federation supports at least one independent private childcare group in industrial parks and export processing zones with equipment, supplies, toys and conditions to ensure the quality of caring for and raising workers' children.

The project also emphasizes promoting investment in building worker housing and trade union facilities in industrial parks and export processing zones, considering this as a fundamental solution for workers to "settle down and work".

The construction of trade union institutions is oriented to be associated with kindergartens, health stations, and playgrounds for workers' children. This is not only an infrastructure story, but also contributes to ensuring the right to live with parents, to spiritual care and comprehensive development of children.

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