This week I spoke to Jimmy Pham, who started KOTO, Know One Teach One, from scratch to help disadvantaged youths gain access to accomodation and training to improve their own lives.
Who are you?
I'm KOTO founder and KOTO International CEO. Above all, I'm big brother of the street and disadvantaged youth that KOTO supports.
What do you do?
As KOTO, we provide street and disadvantaged youth with free hospitality and English training along with life skills development. In addition, we provide safe and secure accommodation, thorough health checks, counseling, uniforms, career counseling, meals everyday and a monthly traineeship allowance.
We have a training centre and restaurant in Hanoi, and a training centre in HCMC, with a restaurant to open in the coming months.
I manage the KOTO International team which provides support for KOTO Hanoi and KOTO Saigon in terms of sponsorship, fundraising, branding and communications. I also work to promote KOTO worldwide and hope to establish KOTO in another part of the world.
What made you go on this path?
I was born in Vietnam but grew up in Australia, and when I came back to Vietnam as an adult I was shocked by the poverty and hopelessness facing the street children in my country. Their lives were also endangered by a lot of risks when working in the streets including drugs, prostitution and crime. They needed the opportunity to change their lives. I started by giving hand-outs, but then realized the best way to help them is to give them an opportunity to learn skills so they can stand on their own two feet and break the poverty cycle. I then left my job in the travel industry and started the small sandwich shop with 9 street kids. The restaurant was later followed by a training center. Since then KOTO has grown into a 200-trainee capacity, multi-location, internationally accredited (by Box Hill Institute of TAFE) hospitality program.
What's your background?
I was born in Saigon in 1972 to a Vietnamese mother and Korean father. We left Vietnam in 1974 and migrated to Australia in 1980 where we began a new life in Sydney. I was working in the travel industry previously, and didn't have any hospitality experience when I started KOTO.
"Be proud to be both Australian and Asian "
What makes you laugh?
People who need to be accepted purely from the outside
What's one thing you couldn't live without?
Spending time with trainees, past and present and hearing how happy they are.
What was the last book/movie that you read/saw?
Mao's Last Dancer
What's one thing about yourself most people wouldn't know?
A softy person on the inside and easy to cry
What do you think is the biggest issue affecting Asian Australians?
Continue to fight for acceptance and equity
Who's one of your favourite Asian Australians and why?
My mother who sacrifices tirelessly for the family and for her children.
What's your favourite memory about growing up Asian in Australia?
Going to festivals at occasions such as Lunar Tet, Full Moon Festival, and family gatherings on these occasions
What advice would you give to young Asian Australians at achieving their goals?
Understand your heritage and be proud of your heritage. Be proud to be both Australian and Asian
What can we do to support KOTO?
There's a variety of ways to support KOTO including making monthly donations, donating from our wish list, sponsoring a KOTO trainee and volunteering. We have fundraising events in Australia every year so you can join. The easiest way is to start spreading the words about KOTO
KOTO has been operating for over 10 years and has 300 graduates; why do you think the model has been so successful in changing people's lives?
We provide hospitality and English training along with life skills, as we want graduates to be well-rounded people. Our training program is a combination of theory and practice. The important part of what we do is to provide a family and nurturing environment where they feel safe, happy and cared for and where they can develop into young confident adults.
KOTO restaurant in Hanoi has over 150 customers daily; why do you think people enjoy the restaurant?
Good food and service, but also a friendly atmosphere of trainees who want to make the experience enjoyable for our customers
What's next for KOTO?
We hope to replicate the model in other countries. Wherever there is abandonment, neglect and abuse, we will be there.
Thanks to Jimmy and his team at KOTO for their help. Keep up the good work!
Also, an article about KOTO from CNN from 2007.
Click here to read other interviews in the Know Your Asian Australians series
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