14: Anh Ngo, Founder of Food Story - Kitchen Incubator Project

UnConventional

In 2015, Anh’s family vacationed in Sapa, Vietnam, an area known for its beautiful mountainous scenery. Anh was shocked to discover that beyond its picturesque backdrop, the region’s ethnic tribes were suffering extreme poverty. Most of the children in Sapa were forced to drop out of school to sell crafts, beg for money or even worse, be sold into marriage. When Anh returned to her home in Hanoi she was determined to find an alternative path for Sapa’s children. In September 2019, she founded Food Story – an initiative to provide education, vocational training and sustainable employment to children in the impoverished, mountainous regions of Vietnam. Anh knew tourism was vital to Sapa’s economy, so she decided to prepare youth for careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. Food Story partners with private companies and local organizations to teach cooking skills to tribal youth. Since September, Food Story has rapidly transformed into a well-known organization in Vietnam and has solidified partnerships with national organizations. They have successfully trained 70 village children, and that number will quickly grow in 2020 as the initiative expands into surrounding communities. Looking forward, Anh plans to launch additional courses focusing on a variety of professions. She hopes to provide children with a range of opportunities to build sustainable careers and lift them out of poverty.