Hide your tears and smile

More than 3 months after the tragic fire at Marywilska 44 Shopping Center in Warsaw, Poland, a temporary market has just opened, much to the anticipation of not only the Vietnamese community but also many Polish and other foreign traders.

Attending the opening ceremony on August 31, Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland Ha Hoang Hai thanked the central and local authorities of Poland for actively supporting and always accompanying Vietnamese traders after the tragic fire on May 12, and hoped that the management board would soon rebuild the shopping center so that traders could do business with peace of mind and stabilize their lives.

The temporary market includes 400 shops, with a variety of goods and services from selling clothes and shoes to catering, haircuts, clothing repairs, nail services... Each shop has an area of 15-60 m2, with electricity and heating systems for cold winter days.

The number of shops covered nearly 65% of the small traders who were damaged in the fire. According to a VNA reporter in Poland, the number of shops owned by Vietnamese people accounted for more than 50% of the temporary market.

Chợ tạm bao gồm 400 cửa hàng, với nhiều mặt hàng, dịch vụ đa dạng — The temporary market includes 400 shops, with a variety of goods and services.

The market operates 7 days a week, from 7am to 7pm. Registration and delivery of the store is simple and easy, with many unprecedented rental and promotional incentives. During the first 3 months, traders are exempt from all fees, only having to pay the lowest cleaning fee. After 3 months, each store pays less than 300 euros/month for a year.

Witnessing the bewildered faces and cries of the merchants at Marywilska 44 Shopping Center as the raging fire consumed all their years of hard work and capital, I felt helpless before their suffering. Many Vietnamese people tried to rush into the sea of fire to save their property but to no avail.

A corner of Warsaw sky was filled with billowing black smoke. After only 2-3 hours of raging in the early morning of May 12, the sea of fire burned down 1,348 stores, most of which belonged to Vietnamese small traders, up to hundreds of stores. The workplaces and future livelihoods of thousands of families seemed to have vanished.

For nearly 4 months, Vietnamese traders have lived with many worries, but in return, they have been protected by the love and sharing of the entire Vietnamese community in Poland. Despite many difficulties, everyone is excited to prepare carefully for the day of returning to the temporary market Marywilska 44 - taking care of everything like the first trip to Poland.

They have experience, strong will and determination, and a whole Vietnamese community to support them. The faces of everyone at the temporary market are brighter, the tears hidden in their hearts to overcome and move forward into the future.

The opening of the temporary market was simple but attracted many reporters from Polish television and radio stations to cover the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Malgorzata Konarska, President of Marywilska 44 Group, affirmed that she will closely coordinate with relevant agencies and local authorities to soon rebuild the Marywilska 44 Shopping Center to serve the people of Warsaw.

Some pictures of Marywilska 44 temporary market on opening day