The hard work of raking snails on the canal

It was getting dark, people's faces were no longer visible, the snail rakers after selling their products to traders also gradually left the canal to go home.

Although snail raking is hard work, people have a stable income.

As the afternoon was coming to an end, as the tide began to recede, people quietly followed the flood drainage canal in Phu Thuy ward ( Lam Dong province), which is adjacent to the Phu Hai river mouth. They carried long nets, several large plastic tubs and calloused hands to start a day of earning a living by raking snails and shrimps on the red, muddy canal.

The sound of water mixed with the sound of the net scraping on the bottom of the canal seems to tell the story of the hard-working people here. Under the dry afternoon sun, Mr. Le Van Kha (42 years old, living in Mui Ne ward, Lam Dong province) diligently pulls the net, his hands red with mud and sand. He shared that this profession has only emerged in the past few years, since the discovery of snails and mollusks, small mollusks the size of a little finger, drifting into the canal after each flood.

“The first day I saw some people trying to rake, and I was also interested in selling the snails. Now I’m used to it, and I rake every day from 2pm to almost 6pm. This job is very hard, I have to soak in the water for many hours, and sometimes I accidentally step on sharp rocks or broken glass and bleed on my feet. But if I work hard, I can rake hundreds of kilos each day and earn millions,” said Kha while cleaning the snails.

To collect snails, shrimps, and mollusks, people here use a rake about 1.5m long, hold both ends with both hands, and pull back step by step to push mud and mollusks into the net. Each time they finish raking, they have to bend down to the stream to clean the mud, sort it, pour it into plastic tubs, and then bring it to shore and pack it into large sacks. These mollusks are not used as food for people but are sold to traders for around 10,000 VND/kg, then transported to Cam Ranh, Nha Trang ( Khanh Hoa province) to be processed into food additives for lobsters and giant tiger prawns.

However, snail rakers have to work in a risky environment. Flood drainage channels often contain a lot of waste, sharp metals and disease-causing microorganisms. Snail rakers often suffer from dermatitis, even stepping on broken glass... Showing off her calloused hands and tanned skin, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (36 years old, living in Phu Thuy ward) shared: "Many people say this job is smelly, dirty and hard, but I think it's worth it. Having a steady income, being able to send two children to school and having enough for the family to live on is enough to be happy."

As the sky was getting dark, people’s faces were no longer clearly visible, the snail rakers after selling their products to traders also gradually left the canal to go home. Watching them pass by, all one could see was their hunched backs, their clothes soaked and covered in mud, but in their eyes still sparkled hope - that as long as they had a job and an income, they would be able to support their families through many rainy and sunny seasons.

VICTORY

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhoc-nhan-nghe-cao-oc-tren-kenh-post802742.html