The KOTO vocational training center in Bac Ninh fell silent one August morning as Ho Thi May, 26, addressed the room. Seven years after arriving as a timid Hmong girl, May shared her journey from humble mountain meals to becoming a baker at a luxurious Hanoi restaurant.

May is the eldest of 10 children in Pu Xi village, Muong Mun commune, Dien Bien province. Her childhood was marked by meals of cassava-mixed rice. During lean times, food consisted solely of rice mixed with water and salted ginger.

May remembers her frail mother, who never saw a hospital, always working tirelessly from dawn till dusk. She chopped wild greens and sweet potato leaves for the pigs and chickens, then toiled in the fields.

May has seven younger siblings. From the age of three or four, she carried them around her home and village. As she grew older, she carried them to the district market. On scorching afternoons or during relentless rains, May would carry a tiny sibling on her back, her feet sinking into mud, trudging five or six kilometers of mountain pass to sell goods with her mother. "I don't remember what I sold," May recalled, "but I vividly remember the feeling of carrying a sibling on my back."

Ho Thi May works in the fields with her family in Pu Xi village, Muong Mun commune, Dien Bien province. Photo: Provided by subject

Witnessing women in her village dedicate their lives to arduous labor instilled in May a powerful desire for a different future through education.

Nearing the end of 12th grade, with her family unable to afford university tuition, May was introduced to KOTO. This social enterprise provides a free two-year training program for disadvantaged youth, covering professional skills and conversational English to earn an international vocational certificate.

When May was accepted, her mother, Sung Thi Sai, 46, gave her just enough money for a bus ticket. "Try to study and live decently so you don't suffer like your parents," her mother advised.

In July 2019, May joined class K35. Initially, she was hesitant with modern kitchen equipment, and shy about speaking English. However, the inclusive environment helped her gradually gain confidence.

Despite interruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, May earned an "Excellent Trainee" certificate and won third prize in the training center's baking competition. She also interned at a 5-star hotel in Hanoi and participated in an outdoor trip to Central Vietnam. "I realized that the world outside my hometown is vast, and I can also be a part of that world," she stated.

Ho Thi May, a European baker at a restaurant in the Tay Ho area, Hanoi in 8/2026. Photo: Ngoc Anh

After graduating, May began working as a European baker at a restaurant in the Tay Ho area of Hanoi. From her very first salary, she started sending money home. When her parents fell ill or her siblings needed school fees, May allocated up to two-thirds of her income to support them. Thanks to her contributions, her mother no longer has to forage for wild vegetables to sell.

May's self-reliance has motivated her siblings. She noted that her younger siblings back home have now set goals to become an auto mechanic, a teacher, and a cameraman.

Currently, May hopes to open her own bakery. However, she prioritizes her family's economic well-being, acknowledging this may delay her personal goal.

"Living 500 km from home inevitably brings moments of loneliness," she reflected, "but I always remind myself to move forward."

Phan Duong