Brian Jeffrey
In 1986, Le Van Canh, born in 1938, alongside Nguyen Thi Vuong, born in 1944, relocated from Thanh Hoa to Dak Lak to cultivate fresh terrain. Despite their relentless efforts, the challenges of supporting a large family left them struggling financially.
By 1999, they turned to scavenging at the landfill managed by the Dak Lak Urban Environment Company in Village 8, Cu Ebur Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City. There, they, along with local residents, uncovered, tended to, and laid to rest many abandoned infants.
Canh recounted how their dire situation led them to the dump in search of scrap metal to sell. One morning, shortly after 7 am, as a truck emptied its load, Canh stumbled upon a travel bag that was locked and appeared valuable.
To his astonishment, inside the bag was a carefully bundled infant boy. He organized a collection for a ceramic urn and offerings, and he and his wife ensured the child was cleaned and properly interred.
On another occasion, at around 5 am, Canh returned to the landfill to find a plastic bag containing a baby girl, still warm to the touch. Despite their desperate attempts to revive her, she did not survive. They buried her with assistance from others in the community.
Canh shared that many who scavenged at the site encountered similar tragedies. “Each time we discovered an abandoned infant, my heart ached, but fear wasn’t present. We sought donations for their burial as we felt deep compassion for them,” he reflected.
During almost two decades at the Cu Ebur landfill, Canh and his wife, along with the community, retrieved the remains of 19 infants. Thirteen were interred in the Village 8 cemetery, and the rest were managed by local officials.
Canh named all 19 infants with his surname, Le, to provide them with an identity. Acknowledging that they were left without family, he felt it was essential to bestow a sense of belonging on them. Each infant received a name reflecting the time of day they were found, such as Le Thi Mai or Le Binh Minh for morning discoveries, and Le Van Hoang or Le Thi Hoang Hon for those found later in the day.
In 2017, the landfill moved to Hoa Phu Commune (Buon Ma Thuot City), bringing an end to the couple’s scavenging activities. Now, they reside with their youngest child in Village 8, Cu Ebur. Through careful management of their resources, they have secured land for growing beans and corn. Their eight children have all grown to lead fulfilling lives while looking after their parents.
