In a pickle? Make a pickle

With the economy in crisis, getting a job and earning an income has become very difficult for everyone. At a time when even young and healthy people are unable to find work, the elderly are hit the hardest.

Nguyen Thi Mai is an exception. The 60-year-old woman, who sells pickled eggplant at a temporary market in Ha Noi's Long Bien District, says she is better off than many other people in her age group.

She said she and her retired husband would not be able to make ends meet if they relied solely on the monthly allowance he receives after working for years as a manual labourer. She earned a little extra money by selling vegetables, but her niece pointed her in another direction.

The niece, who knew Mai made very good pickled eggplant, advised her to sell that instead. Mai took her advice and her product quickly became popular in the market. She sold small bags for pickled eggplant that she made for VND5000 each.

Mai then started to grow the plant in her garden so she could earn more profit. To her surprise, this simple skill now helps her earn tens of millions of dong every month. — VNS