Trun Van Pha, 5, hugs his mother, Ly Thi Mui, 42, as they sit in the grass next to the Red River enjoying the sun. Mui, a Buddhist, has been living homeless for the last five years on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam, with her son, Pha. Mui deals with both a mental disorder and the reality of having HIV. Even though they face many daily challenges, like the threat of being arrested by the police, and have very little means of survival, they have an overwhelming sense of hope because they find happiness in their simple affection for each other.

Ly Thi Mui, 42, goes through a bag of fruit she found in the street, sorting out the rotten pieces, while her son, Tran Van Pha, leans on her for support. Mui owns little and always takes her possessions out of her bamboo mat in order to organize herself before leaving on her walk to the Red River. Where Mui and her son live near the Long Bien Train Station, they are in plain view of hundreds of Vietnamese that walk each day to and from the train station. They were arrested recently by the police for living in the street and were put in a work camp for three months.

Ly Thi Mui, 42, holds four heroin needles that she recently picked up, while her son, Tran Van Pha, 5, stands next to her. Where they live is know throughout the city for its high crime and heroin use. The day after the annual new years Tet celebration in Hanoi, Vietnam, there was an dramatic increase of heroin needles around where they walk every day under the Long Bien Bridge. Mui spent an hour barefooted picking upwards of hundred needles and placing them in one pile out of harms way. Every where Mui walks she habitually picks up the garbage around her. She likes to think by picking up garbage she will help those around her.

Every day, Ly Thi Mui, 42, and her son, Tran Van Pha, walk across the Long Bien Bridge, and stop at this spot to complete their daily exercises. Mui takes a break from doing sit-ups and looks out over the Red River, while Pha pushes her on the back. Mui deals with a mental disorder and sometimes will do things that are dangerous, like sit at the edge of the Long Bien bridge.

Tran Van Pha, 5, kneels close to the traffic of nearby motorbikes, next to his mother, Ly Thi Mui, 42, as she picks up a pile of old rice she found on the street. Mui at times eats food that she finds on the street and even if they don't end up eating the food they find, Mui always tries to leave her environment cleaner then it was. Mui is a practicing Buddhist and teaches her son the importance of caring about his environment.

Ly Thi Mui, 42, carrying all the valuable possessions she owns in one bag, walks ahead of her son, Tran Van Pha, 5, while he runs to catch up with her. Every day they walk the same route to their spot on the river where they spend hours playing on the beach.

Every day, Tran Van Pha, 5, and his mother, Ly Thi Mui, 42, help each other bathe in the Red River. Mui said she knows how hard Pha's life is and keeping him clean is something she can do to make his life easier.

Every night, Ly Thi Mui, 42, and her son, Tran Van Pha, 5, sleep in the street close to the Long Bien Train Station. While her son sleeps, Mui stays up late to clean up the newspaper she uses as a place setting for their dinner. Mui always carries her son to their sleeping area and covers him in a blanket before she finishes with her chorus.