Charcoal kilns help lepers torch prejudice

Despite years of isolation, poverty and hunger, the villagers living in Binh Minh Village in the southern province of Dong Nai are finally making a better life for themselves – all thanks to their charcoal kilns.

In the 1970s, people suffering from leprosy were moved to the settlement, in Long Thanh District, with the assistance of a Norwegian non-government organisation.

La Van Thuan, one of the first generation to move into the village, recalls that the NGO believed they were providing the lepers with a better way of life, and they themselves saw little other choice.

"At that time we were often driven away by people when we went to the market to buy something. This continued once we settled in the new community and we had to trade between ourselves. If someone wanted to buy something we did not have or needed to sell their goods, they had to hide their affliction, or travel great distances and sell their products for a very cheap price. We were driven out by people and they wouldn't accept any of our goods, except for charcoal, because they thought that it is impossible for the leprosy virus to be present in the charcoal as it has been burnt in severe heat for a long time."

The villagers in Binh Minh soon realised that they could make some more money by concentrating on charcoal production. Initially there were only a few households in the village working in this area, but soon many others joined.

The charcoal kilns built since then now create stable jobs for nearly 1,000 locals who can make a monthly income between VND3 and 6 million, says Thuan.

His fellow villager Hua Thi Kim Hoa explains the close bond that has always existed between people living in the community. "Although our villagers are originally from different localities we love, protect and help one another. If one person meets with difficulty, all of us join in to support them."

Hoa recalls how in the past she was an employee of Thuan, who trained her and her family how to make charcoal from wood.

"Thanks to Thuan and his effective assistance, our family escaped from hunger and poverty. Before he helped us, we used to face months of hunger."

The charcoal production was one way out of poverty for the following generations, who were still discriminated against despite many not carrying leprosy.

Due to the prejudice, almost all Binh Minh villagers were illiterate because they could not receive an education. Life for them became harder and harder. It is only in recent years that things have began to improve more rapidly.

"Our living standards have been improving since we joined together to sell charcoal and discrimination from people toward lepers has finally started to reduce which has allowed our third and fourth generations to go to school. Several people are now engineers and graduates, working in big companies in cities nationwide," says Hoa.

Vo Thi Ngoc Thuy, the head of the village, says that the entire community has 645 people, and most of them do not face leprosy any longer.

"We are very happy because we now live the same as other people." She adds that the entire village has 150 charcoal kilns, producing about five tonnes of charcoal for sale every day. "The job not only created stable income for villagers here, but also for people from surrounding areas."

How to make charcoal

La Van Thuan, one of first charcoal producers in the Binh Minh, says that in the past he and his fellow villagers had to burn fresh wood for three days before it became charcoal.

"This method gave us a low quantity of charcoal because a lot of the wood turned into ash due to overburning.

"Eventually we worked together to renovate the old procedure and learn how to build a kiln which could contain 6-10 tonnes of fresh wood and turn out 2 tonnes of charcoal, compared to the 300-500kg of charcoal we could produce before."

Skilled role

Making charcoal requires experience. Thuan's son La Van Sen explains the most difficult process is that one should know when the charcoal is well done and ready to be cooled. If it is not well done, customers will refuse to buy it and producers face a great loss.

"A skilled worker only needs to see the kiln vent and smell the smoke to know if the charcoal is well done or not," Sen says.

His fellow villager Anh Van Thanh recounts that in the past they had to chop the wood by hand which took them a lot of time.

"Now we use a machine to cut wood. However the job is still very hard, and many workers from surrounding areas have given up because they can't suffer the severe heat from the kiln for days on end," says Thanh, adding that the Binh Minh villagers have had to continue because charcoal production is their only means of making a living.

When asked about materials, Thanh says the villagers buy mangrove trees from surrounding plantations to make charcoal and use older cashew or fruit trees as firewood to burn the charcoal.

"Our 150 kilns provide stable employment for nearly 1,000 workers with a daily income of VND100,000-200,000 per day. The money is not as high as our labour investment, but compared with before when we had to live a hand to mouth existence, our life now is much better and we are pleased of that," Thanh says.

He sees a bright future for production in the village because the need for charcoal to be used for grilling and baking meats and food in restaurants in cities is still increasing. "This means that we still continue to start a new fire every day." — VNS