5 Asia food charities

KOTO: Hospitality training for street children

Hanoi, Vietnam

When Australian-Vietnamese Jimmy Pham asked destitute street kids in Hanoi -- children who scraped by shining shoes or selling postcards -- what they wanted most, they told him directly: job skills. Pham was inspired to launch KOTO (Know One, Teach One), a training restaurant where disadvantaged youth learn cooking, service skills and English. KOTO grew from a sandwich shop into a popular 120-seat restaurant and an internationally accredited hospitality program. Many KOTO graduates now work in top hotels and restaurants in Hanoi.

Success story: Nguyen Thi Thao was a postcard seller on the streets before she enrolled at KOTO. As one of the program’s most outstanding students, Nguyen was chosen to represent KOTO on a trip to Switzerland. After graduation, she was hired by the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi. She later returned to KOTO where she works in the restaurant and helps train new students. Nguyen says her time at KOTO has been the happiest in her life. “My ambition is to be a manager in the hospitality industry and travel to discover other countries to learn the different cultures,” she says.

Contact: KOTO on Van Mieu Restaurant, 59 Van Mieu Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Tel. 84 4 3747 0337

Cooking for Life: Education in cooking for underprivileged children

Hong Kong

Cooking for Life gives weekly cooking lessons to needy Hong Kong kids by teaming up with restaurants and hotels. Renowned chef Martin Yan is the ambassador of the charity, which was established by Philippe Bru in 2007. Says Bru, “Our vision is that we will ultimately provide the participants the chance to take up employment in a major kitchen or send them to a world renowned hotel school, opportunities they would never have thought possible.” Bru says it’s been “surprisingly difficult to convince hotels and restaurants to help,” which is why he’s working on fundraising for a Community Culinary Centre, a dedicated education center where students and parents can both study cooking and nutrition.

Success story: More than 2,000 children have joined Cooking for Life classes at more than 25 hotels and restaurants. The program is providing much-needed skills to underprivileged kids. One eager student wrote on his Cooking for Life application: “My family has four members, my mum, dad and an older brother. My father is facing unemployment problem yet my mum is only a waitress. My older brother is a Form 7 student now, so I want to learn cooking in order to decrease my mum's housework.”

Contact: aafc88@gmail.com

Shanghai Young Bakers: Teaching orphans professional baking

Shanghai, China

Leave it to the French to bake up a gourmet charity. The French Junior Chamber, a volunteer group of young French people in Shanghai, launched the Shanghai Young Bakers (SYB) program to provide orphans from around China with intensive professional training in baking through a comprehensive six-month program, which provides everything from comfortable dormitories to a “life coach” who organizes weekend activities. It’s a world away from life in the factory for many of these poor orphans. The main sponsors of the program, including PAUL and Carrefour, are already employing the first class of graduates.

Success story: Wang Li, a 21-year-old orphan from Henan, was working in a factory in Guangdong when she was selected for the SYB program. She is now the class leader and holds an internship at PAUL. “At first I thought I would just be someone who would bake bread and it was quite simple,” she says with a contagious smile. “But when we got here I found the whole program was way beyond my expectations. We really feel this is an amazing opportunity!”

Contact: Hélène Sini - Communication Tel. 86 135 2435 3150, hsini@shanghaiyoungbakers.com

The Learning Farm: Impoverished youth learn organic farming

West Java, Indonesia

School dropouts and impoverished young men are given chances to develop new skills through The Learning Farm’s five-month program, which teaches life skills, organic farming and entrepreneurship. “The mutually reinforcing cycle of learning and application of new skills help the youth to gradually become more self-confident, knowledgeable and skilled,” according to The Learning Farm. The charity also offers apprenticeships and post-training assistance.

Success story: According to the program, about 40 percent of graduates have their own organic farms, teach about organic and environmental issues or work on commercial farms.

Contact: Komplek Perkebunan Teh Maleber, Rt01 Rw12 Desa Ciherang, Kecamatan Pacet Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia. Tel. 0263-514840

Roots & Shoots Organic Garden Program: A garden for every school

Shanghai, China

School children in China are known more for their dedication to math homework than for their skills with a shovel and hoe. Now, Roots & Shoots has inspired hundreds of school children to throw down school bags and plant organic gardens right on campus. The Organic Garden Program, launched in 2008, already has nearly 40 participating schools, both local and international -- all with their own organic garden plots. Participating students, from primary up to high school level, also get weekly lessons on the health and environmental benefits of organic agriculture from a team of Roots & Shoots volunteers.

Success story: Thirteen-year-old Zhu Yujie was as thrilled as her classmates to enjoy the organic fruits of her labor: “The time of harvest was undoubtedly the most exciting moment for me,” she said of the school’s organic plot. “We spent the whole semester diligently growing these vegetables, and we all felt happy when we harvested our own food at last. I never had such a wonderful experience.”

Contact: Tel. 86 21 5306-0001 x 870. grace.cao@jgi-shanghai.org. Blog: http://blog.sina.com.cn/rsshanghai