Where are they now?
KOTO has touched the lives of nearly 200 young people in Hanoi.
We enjoy a 100% success rate in finding positions for our graduates who, in our eyes, remain forever KOTO family.
We believe the success of our trainees after KOTO is proof of the quality of what we teach. Here we profile four former KOTO trainees.
Mr
Nam, KOTO class one
Miss Thao, KOTO class one
Mr Phuong, KOTO class three
Miss Lan, KOTO class two
Nguyen Hoai Nam
Where are you from?
I come from in a small village which is about 70km away from Ha Noi in Ha Nam province.
What was your life like before you joined KOTO?
I was brought up in a family that was not well off. My mum and dad had separated when I was seven. Since then, my mum has taking care of me and my four other brothers. It was a very hard time for my whole family, especially mum. When my brothers grew up, they left the family and went to Ha Noi to find a new life. I left school and followed them. I hoped that I’d have a better future.
In my early days in Ha Noi I was a newspaper seller, then a postcard seller and sometimes I did shoe shining. I was earning my life on the streets for a few months before I met the KOTO founder Mr Jimmy Pham. It was the start of a new life for me.
Which Class were you in?
I was in the very first KOTO class - class 1.
When did you leave KOTO?
I left KOTO in 2002.
What jobs have you had since then?
I had some experience working in an Italian restaurant before I become a bartender at the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi.
Where are you now?
Sofitel Metropole Hanoi.
What is you happiest KOTO memory?
I remember sharing a special bowl of soup cooked by Jimmy himself with my friends. I can also remember riding my bike home from training, alongside all my friends.
Do you have a message for the current KOTO trainees?
From my experience, I would tell them always to be patient, to work hard and to decide what you want to do. Remember KOTO is a family so we should always work together.
And remember that, wherever you end up working, continue to be proud that you are part of the KOTO family. You are luckier than thousands of other young people. Don’t waste this chance to improve yourself.
What do you want to do next and what is your ambition?
I think with the experience I have gained to date there are a few ways I can develop. Hopefully, with my knowledge and ability to communicate I could become a sales and marketing manager, a public relations manager or a food and beverage manager. Ultimately I would like to be a successful businessman in the tourist industry.
KOTO COMMENT: Nam continues to be involved in the KOTO project and for his exemplary conduct since leaving, and his long service to the Metropole, in 2006 he was award the KOTO Ambassador Award.
Nguyen Thi Thao
Where are you from?
I’m from Ninh Binh Province (around 100kms from Hanoi).
What was your life like before you joined KOTO?
I was a postcard seller on the street before I joined KOTO. it was so difficult and very hard to live because I was only 13 years old and life on the street was so dangerous for me at that time.
Which Class were you in?
I was in the first class
When did you leave KOTO?
I left KOTO in 2002.
What jobs have you had since then?
Since then I have worked as a food and beverage staff member at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel in Hanoi.
Where are you now?
Now I am back working at the KOTO restaurant.
What is you happiest KOTO memory?
All the time with KOTO is my happiest time. But if I had to pick one then the graduation ceremony was unforgettable. There were lots of happy tears, smiles and love. I found that I had to take a big step and stand on my own. I was a bit nervous and scared but KOTO helped me and gave me the strength to do it. I feel very happy and proud to be one of the first KOTO trainees.
Do you have a message for the current KOTO trainees?
Try to learn as much as you can and be confident in supporting and helping others. Remember we should always ‘Know one teach one’. Continue to work hard and be a good person.
What do you want to do next and what is your ambition?
There are many things that I want to do but firstly I will continue to work for KOTO and try to learn more and more new things to develop my skills and support KOTO in training the trainees.
My ambition is to be a manager in the hospitality industry and travel to discover other countries to learn the different cultures.
KOTO COMMENT: In 2005, as a reward for her on-going development and dedication to KOTO, Thao had the chance to travel to Switzerland to represent KOTO. It was an amazing experience, not least seeing snow for the first time. Thao is now an essential part of the front of house team and recently started attending executive meetings which is a reflection of the faith KOTO has in her.
Pham Van Phuong
Where are you from?
Hung Yen Province, Vietnam (about 40 km from Hanoi)
What was your life like before you joined KOTO?
I worked as a shoeshine boy in the streets and earned about 15,000 VND-20,000 VND per day. I lived in a hostel. Life was hard for me at that time because I had to work in Hanoi on my own without any support.
Which Class were you in?
I was in class 3.
When did you leave KOTO?
After graduation, I was lucky to be offered a job at KOTO and have the chance to “Know One Teach One”.
What jobs have you had since then? Where are you now?
I have worked at KOTO since then and am now a senior chef.
What is you happiest KOTO memory?
My happy memories at KOTO include going on a field trip with all my KOTO friends, as well as learning and practising new dishes. The happiest moment of all was the graduation ceremony when we celebrated our 18-month’s worth of hard work. I felt that KOTO gave me a very valuable gift that I had never dreamed of.
Do you have a message for the current KOTO trainees?
Value the opportunity you are given at KOTO and realise how lucky you are and how it can change your life for the better. Try your best to study and take on knowledge and skills to become a good and useful person for society. Continue KOTO’s philosophy of Know One Teach One so that you can help more people and make this world a better one.
What do you want to do next and what is your ambition?
Continue to learn more about cooking and advance my career to become an excellent chef. I will continue to work for KOTO and I hope in the future I will be become head chef. In the long-term, I want to open a restaurant of my own so that I can help more people.
KOTOCOMMENT: Phuong has made tremendous progress in the KOTO restaurant kitchen and he’s helped the progress of many kitchen trainees. In 2005 he visited Australia with KOTO. During that time, he helped with presentations and had the chance to work in international standard restaurants. He was a fantastic ambassador for KOTO and the experience reflected in increased confidence in himself and his work.
Vu Thi Lan
Where are you from?
I am from Ha Nam (about 70km away)
What was your life like before you joined KOTO?
I worked as home help to support myself as my family was very poor.
Which Class were you in?
Class 2.
When did you leave KOTO?
I left KOTO in March 2003.
What jobs have you had since then?
After I graduated, I worked for a restaurant in Alfresco’s Group and then I came back to work at KOTO. After that, I returned to work at Alfresco’s.
Where are you now?
I am working at Alfresco Restaurant in Hai Ba Trung. (Lan is now assistant head chef at Al Frescos).
What is you happiest KOTO memory?
My happiest memories when I stayed at KOTO were the moments when I received support, andencouragement from the KOTO staff and friends and especially from Mr Jimmy who stayed by my side and shared with me everything. He not only helped me but also my family. The happiest moment was when we were presented with KOTO certificates and Box Hill certificates.
Do you have a message for the current KOTO trainees?
Try hard to study and build good relationships with other trainees by supporting and sharing with each other so that when you graduate you will have great memories with your KOTO friends and can still help each other. This will assist you to overcome the new challenges.
What do you want to do next and what is your ambition?
I want to become a head chef in a hotel in 5 years.
KOTO COMMENTS: Lan has showed through her advancement at Al Frescos that hard work can pay dividends. In addition, Lan has continued to be a part of the KOTO family not just to her own classmates but also subsequent classes. She has been a big sister to many trainees and has provided a tremendous example to all.