By Nguyen Ngoc Anh | Fundraising Officer
Throughout my life, my family has been very unstable, and many things have happened to make life difficult for me. I used to think I couldn’t stand on my own two feet. I grew up in a rural area named PhuXuyen – Hanoi, where my parents were very poor farmers. Entering adulthood, I was so confused and had no idea what the future might hold for me. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life, so, following my friends, I moved to the South looking for job opportunities.
There I worked in industrial zone for a electric wire production company with very low income. It was not a secure job. I know that, like many other women, I will be trashed out of the company when I get 35 years old. I often fell in to anxiety and worried about the fact that without any technical skill, nor saving money, what could I do in the future.
But the difficulties were over when I luckily found the right path for myself thanks to REACH. I got the information through the Viet Vo – Vu Vo Phuong Nam Volunteer group, and was interested in REACH’s courses. I decided to study the YCI course, specializing in cooking. This was a great professional training program. It taught me hard work, meticulousness, patience, and to be humbler, and I began to understand the importance of a foreign language in life and work. REACH also equipped me with great life skills such as interpersonal skills and team work.
Here, I met other young people with similar circumstances. Perhaps that was the reason why we could understand each other and are very close. We participate in volunteer activities helping children in the orphanage. I gradually came to realize that I am not the only one who has difficulties, I have been much luckier than many people out there.
After 6 months of study, I graduated and worked at Intercontinental Asian Saigon Hotel – ChiDory Restaurant with an income of 7.8 million per month. My job is chef of the hotel-that high-scale restaurant; I propose the daily menu, and coordinate to prepare dishes. I have been trained in kitchen management skills.
I am constantly studying for advanced skills in cooking, and work hard at foreign languages. I have started to save money for a “kitchen management” course in France, which I will take part in for the next two years. This is a big dream for me, but one I know I can achieve.
Now, cooking is my passion. I cannot believe I'm the chef of a 5-star hotel, a job that I'm so proud of. If I did not find REACH, maybe I would not have found myself, and I would not have found something I love from my heart, cooking food.
Vu Ngan Thu, 28 years old
YCI graduate
Batch: 39 – Ho Chi Minh city
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