Nam lives with his family in a 36 square meter multi-purpose house, which has a tin roof, coconut leaves for walling, and a brick floor. There are two beds, one cabinet, a sewing machine, an electric fan, an old TV set, and a bicycle. Recently, they bought a secondhand motorcycle that Nam's mother rides to get to work. They use the dug pit type of toilet, while the garbage is normally burned. They have electricity, while water is taken from a nearby well.
Wood is used as fuel for cooking.
The family normally takes two full meals of rice and vegetables a day, with meat, fish, or eggs sometimes once a week. Nam's family hopes to improve their life by participating in community activities that they have started to plan. Nam's mother will be most eager to share her family's life through letters that will be personally written by her in Vietnamese.