Newspaper Boy

I have been intrigued by this boy for a few months but this morning was the first time I talked to him. He normally doesn't want to talk to other people about himself or his family. He is a disabled boy who can't walk at all. He sits on a bicycle, using his hands to pedal and control the bike. He started his newspaper business 8 years ago which means when he was 10. He doesn't look like 18 at all, a very baby face with a good smile that makes people think he loves to be alive and happy with what he had and has now.

He starts his day at 6am and ends up at about 10pm, hopefully with no newspapers left. It's difficult to imagine how hard such a life must be, all day using his small hands to pedal around for thewhole day to earn a small income? Around Hanoi in small lanes and big streets, he cycles to earn about 30,oooVnd a day. A good thing about him is that he tries his best even though he is not in the best physical condition and lots of people try to help him by buying his magazines.

I see lots of boys and girls who hang around, doing nothing, putting their hands out to their parents for money. Lots of people don't want to work to earn money, even though they are strong and there are thousands of jobs waiting for them. They are some who prefer to act sick or pretend they have a really urgent family problem to get sympathy and money.

This boy should be an example to them all.