Basket weaving group

These village women were weaving baskets for a contractor based near Hanoi dozens of kilometres away. It was a source of income to supplement that from farming which, for many households in the Red River delta, doesn't really supply enough to live on. They were paid by the piece and, although it didn't provide them with much money, they did at least get to work in a social environment. Their kids wandered in and out and the TV was on when we got there. I'm not sure what I think of handicraft industries like this. On the one hand, it's a chance to earn some cash and keep hunger at bay. On the other hand, it isn't exactly providing them with skills that could be parlayed into a better paid job in future. It seems to leave them stuck in the village on the margins of poverty. The contractor, on the other hand, was very rich.