[Photos] Families Struggle to Get Ahead in Saigon's Cambodian Neighborhood

Along Vo Van Kiet Street not far from District 6’s Lo Gom Bridge, a small community of Cambodian residents lives in squalid conditions, eking out a modest living from their makeshift houses by the river.

The neighborhood, captured by Zing, is home to hundreds of Mekong Delta residents, including a small group of ethnic Khmer. Many local households earn money from peeling ginger, garlic and onions to sell to local businesses. While this work doesn't pay well, it affords residents a meager income with which to care for themselves and their children. According to Le Thi Nuong, a neighborhood resident originally from Dong Thap province, peeling ginger and onions can earn her roughly VND40,000 to VND50,000 per day, however there are some days when she earns nothing at all.

While circumstances are difficult, the main concern for many families in the area is the younger generation. Kids in the neighborhood often help their parents at home in order to improve the family's earnings, however juggling school and household responsibilities can be a challenge, and some of the children in the neighborhood have fallen behind in their schooling as a result.

Here's a look at the residents of Saigon's Cambodian neighborhood:

[Photos via Zing]