KOTO, Vietnam

See YouTube Video Kilimanjaro Challenge 2012 rhinocrocadillipig

See YouTube Video Interview with Jimmy Pham rhinocrocadillipig

See YouTube Video Interview with Jimmy Pham-2 rhinocrocadillipig

See YouTube Video Interview with Miss Thao, Founder of Pots n Pans, Hanoi

KOTO operates a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One and reflects the belief that if you're in a position where you can help someone less fortunate than yourself then you should help them. KOTO helps kids get off the streets in Vietnam by providing them with support and hospitality training. In Hanoi alone, it is estimated that there are some 19,000 young people living on the streets. These children and adolescents are commonly known as "bui doi", literally translated as the "dust of life".

Born in Ho Chi Minh City just before the fall of Saigon, Jimmy Pham returned to Vietnam in 1996 aged 23. It was his first proper visit since his family had fled the country for Australia when he was two years old. Shocked by the number of young homeless, a chance meeting with four street kids changed everything for a man who had studied tourism in Sydney, and had been working as a travel agent in Melbourne. He was determined to do something. KOTO Hanoi was established in 2000, and has since evolved from a small sandwich shop to two training restaurants. It now operates the Hanoi Restaurant and Training Program and the KOTO Saigon (HCMC) Training Centre and Restaurant. Every six months, KOTO takes around 25 young people off the streets, or out of extremely difficult circumstances. These trainees are given thorough health checks and vaccinations, provided with uniforms, laundry, lunch every day, accommodation in share houses, ongoing medical care and a monthly training allowance. This unique 24-month program combines hospitality and English-language training with the development of life skills. It sees its trainees grow from timid, shy teenagers into young adults who are not only sought after as hospitality professionals, but also well-rounded, responsible community-minded citizens ready to embrace the challenges that lie ahead.

KOTO International Limited is a not-for-profit organisation registered in Australia that supports The KOTO Project in Vietnam. All funds raised in Australia through events, sponsorships and donations go directly to support the KOTO project. KOTO also sees itself as being more than a charity, and that its unique structure offer a social enterprise model that can be applied anywhere in the world. Vocational training is the key to a sustainable future for street kids and disadvantaged youth throughout the world. It is a model based on not only providing youth with training and jobs but providing them with valuable life skills to ensure they can contribute to their community.

KOTO itself has been featured in an Australian ABC TV show called "Jimmy's Kitchen" which was made in 2005, and the restaurant has been reported on by many news organisations (such as CNN) over the years. The reputation of the restaurant and the KOTO concept has also drawn the likes of former-US President Bill Clinton and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to pull up a chair at one of the restaurant's tables. In recognition of all his efforts, Jimmy Pham was also recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011 for his contribution and the development of the KOTO social sustainability model.

About rhinocrocadillipig

Rhinocrocadillipig is an independent charity founded by Paul Loftus, Chief Executive Officer of i-studentgroup, the global network connecting students, Universities and counsellors. Says Paul "our aim is to empower disadvantaged children with vocational and life skills".  i-studentgroup were introduced to Jimmy Pham and KOTO in November 2011 by THE-ICE at the 5th International Panel of Experts Forum held at Taylor's University Malaysia.  Since this time, rhinocrocadillipig has been established to support and raise much needed funds for underpriveledged children.

Visit the rhinocrocadillipig website

About Pots n Pans Ha Noi

The team behind Pots ‘n Pans is an eclectic group of individuals that together, make a wonderfully inspiring team. Motivated for trying new things and offering Hanoi a new style of restaurant experience, the team is led by KOTO graduate and now 10 year veteran of the restaurant industry, Ms Nguyen Thi Thao.

Visti the Pots n Pans Website

THE-ICE and its accredited members are pleased to support the efforts of KOTO and financially support its Trainee Sponsorship Package. For more information, or to donate, help or visit the restaurants please visit the KOTO website.

Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School, Cambodia

Sala Baï Hotel & Restaurant School was established in 2002 in Siem Reap, Cambodia by the French-based non-government organisation (NGO) Agir pour le Cambodge. The long-term goal is to reduce poverty in Cambodia through social and professional training of young under-privileged Cambodians. Sala Bai offers a free hotel school education to students coming from under-privileged families who are living in rural districts from all over Cambodia, Each year, the School trains 100 young disadvantaged Cambodians to be restaurant waiter/waitresses, cooks, receptionists and/or housekeeping attendants. During the 12-month training, the school has to cover all the training fees (lessons, school supplies, books, uniforms), and daily expenses (which includes accommodation, food, bicycle, insurance and medical expenses) for the students.

Students have to come from a under-privileged social and economic family background in Cambodia (with annual salary below US$300). They have to meet a minimum education level, and be aged between 17 and 23. Priority is also given to girls, with aim of them making up 70% of each intake.

The School also operates a 4-bedroom training hotel (it costs US$15 per night to stay) and also a restaurant. The proceeds of these activities also go to supporting the students. To date, more than 800 young people have been trained, and they have all found a job within their one-year training.

THE-ICE and its accredited members are a "Sala Bai Angel" and we contribute funds to support a student through the 'Friends of Sala Bai'. This is a not-for-profit organisation supported by individuals, companies and other community based organisations whose sole purpose is to raise funds in support of the Sala Bai Hotel School in Cambodia. For more information, to donate, help or visit the School please visit  the Sala Bai Hotel School Website.

Sala Bai Hotel School Khatna's Journey Video:

Ecole Paul Dubrule, Cambodia

Paul Dubrule (who was one of the co-Founders of the Accor Groupe) saw the need to establish a hotel school in Cambodia, following an eight-month-long bicycle trip from France to Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was during this eight-month trip that he wrote a series of letters which detailed his experiences, and they are a testimony to the transformative experience he underwent on his journey. Given his background in the hotel industry, Mr. Dubrule saw that excellent training would be the key to the future success of young Cambodians, and that such training would help to underpin the growth of its tourism industry in the country.

The aim of the Ecole Paul Dubrule is to prepare its students for careers in the hospitality and tourism industries, by providing them with a one-year curriculum adapted from international standards. The School offers training which not only seeks to meet international standards, but also the needs of local employers, such as small, medium and international hotels, travel agencies, large tour operators, restaurants and guesthouses. The School also offers its students a realistic working environment in which to learn and practice their skills. It has two restaurants and also 4 guest rooms - which have been designed to match the standards of a Sofitel hotel. All proceeds from running these facilities contribute to the self-financing of the School's educational projects.

Since the very beginning of the project, a firm commitment has also been made to hand over the School to the Cambodian authorities.  It has been agreed that as the project moves through a series of key developmental stages, the project leader Formation et Progrès will identify and train Cambodian staff who will go on to successfully assume key managerial and instructional positions once the school has reached a satisfactory level of sustainability.

As an NGO, the mission is to provide young Cambodians, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, with high-quality education and the necessary skills to work in the fields of hospitality and tourism. Given that the majority of the students come from underprivileged backgrounds, they do not have the means to afford the school fees. A candidate's financial participation represents 24% of the total cost of one-year tuition, and is required in order to motivate and involve the student while also contributing to the School's operation. As a not-for-profit organisation, the School encourages and assists young people in the most difficult situations in attending its programmes. But this is only possible because of the donors and partners'  support.  Consequently, THE-ICE and its members are pleased to be able to sponsor a student at Ecole Paul Dubrule.

For more information, to donate, help or visit the School please visit the Ecole Paul Dubrule Website.

To view an Ecole Paul Dubrule Student Story please download Mr Kea's Story.

Ecole Paul Dubrule Newsletter 8 - 10 Year Celebrations