AT THE AGE OF 13 TO WORK FULL-TIME AS A CANDLE MAKER

Nga is an extremely accomplished woman. Currently holding the title of General Manager at Pots ‘n’ Pans and with a very impressive background in high-end hospitality, Nga is a pure success story and her immaculate, professional demeanor reflects just that.

However, this wasn’t always the case. Born in Hanoi, Nga dropped out of high school at the age of 13 to work full-time as a candle maker. With only her and her mother to fend for, (her father having disappeared years before and her brother a heroin addict, who has now passed away) times were tough for the two women trying to make ends meet.

She was 20 years old, when she first heard about KOTO and subsequently joined the program in March of 2001. She trained Front of House, learning everything from folding napkins, to first aid and graduated in October 2003.

A concisely summed-up, “It was amazing” is how she describes her time at KOTO: An apt phrase, considering Nga’s achievements since becoming one of the alumni elite.

Not only has she worked at some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants around the capital, she has also been the Director of Operations for a restaurant start-up and, in 2008, came second in a national hospitality competition, covering the whole of Vietnam. A major triumph within the fiercely competitive world of hospitality and one that she is, rightly, very proud of.

Nga is a woman who inspires. She has set high goals and has fearlessly gone about achieving them. However, this would not have happened had she not been given the chance to realize her true potential, from people who had the power to make a difference.