KOTO International - Know One, Teach One
KOTO is a not-for-profit Social Enterprise; whose purpose is to combat poverty by providing some of Vietnam’s most in need and vulnerable young people with the means for a stable future.
Each year, our partners, volunteers and donors help over 150 marginalized youths gain an Australian Hospitality Certificate, enabling them to provide for themselves, their families and communities.
KOTO's philosophy is ingrained in our name: Know One, Teach One. It is the underlying principle behind the expectations we have of staff, trainees and alumni. We believe in a just environment for all of those who come in contact with KOTO. We are committed to excellence and take pride in our work. In addition, we also believe in and practice the following values:
KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One - learning should be passed on; knowledge is meant to be shared. This is the essential idea of KOTO’s Vietnamese-Australian founder, Jimmy Pham.
In 1999, Mr Jimmy opened a hospitality training centre in Hanoi, giving at-risk and disadvantaged youth the opportunity to break the poverty cycle by forging a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Twenty years later, our almost 1, 000 graduates now include executive and sous chefs, hotel and resort general managers, business owners as well as university graduates. All are contributing to their families and society.
KOTO continues to be acknowledged as a leading unique not-for-profit social enterprise, not only in Vietnam but also internationally. Today, KOTO provides 200 at-risk and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam an opportunity to undertake our 24-month holistic hospitality training program to end the cycle of poverty and truly empower our trainees to realise their dreams.