Know One Teach One (KOTO) - Vietnam, Hanoi 

Empowering the local community in Hanoi

Know One Teach One (KOTO) seeks to contribute to the creation of a better future by empowering Vietnamese communities.

KOTO works towards abolishing the cycle of poverty, by providing holistic and vocational development opportunities to at-risk and disadvantaged Vietnamese youth. Each person impacted by the program is empowered to create a better future for themselves and their communities. This is primarily achieved through the transformative power of social enterprise.

KOTO is a longstanding partner of PACE International, since its inception in 2010. Over this time, Macquarie students have contributed immensely to the delivery of KOTO’s programs to have a real and quantifiable impact in alleviating poverty through providing educational opportunities for vulnerable youth in Vietnam.

Find out more about KOTO by watching the New Colombo Plan video [Facebook video] or the Dateline documentary about KOTO's work.

PACE activities

KOTO is a longstanding partner of PACE International since 2010. PACE students have contributed immensely to the delivery of KOTO’s programs that have a real and quantifiable impact in alleviating poverty by providing educational opportunities for vulnerable youth in Vietnam.

HR

Students helped coordinate staff training workshops and performed a demographic analysis on volunteer information that was used to inform decision making and marketing for future volunteer groups.

Marketing

Students supported the marketing department with preparation for the End of Year Tet (Lunar New Year) Party by developing media presentations, designing promotional collateral, managing event logistics and fundraising.

Business

Students worked with KOTO’s People and Performance team to improve some internal processes. Students focused on the design and implementation of internal communications for current and past trainees, enhancing KOTO’s alumni program.

Education

Students assisted KOTO trainers in delivering English language classes and a hospitality curriculum. This included conducting lessons, tutoring sessions and hosting conversational English groups.

Public Relations

Students designed a sponsor information pamphlet outlining the benefits for potential sponsors for the KOTO Trainee Field Trip to Hoi An. Students also prepared an official media press-release for the field trip and created thank you letters and certificates for all event sponsors.

Student stories

Russel Alivio

Q: What do you study and where did you go on your PACE International activity?

A: I was in my final year of Commerce (Accounting) and Laws when I commenced my PACE International Activity in Vietnam.

Q: What was your role or project at your host organisation?

A: I was assigned as an Alumni Relations Intern working on various projects within the Training and Alumni Services Department. For a few days I would be working on presentations, liaising with key sponsors or creating some team-building activities and then I’d be working on something completely different like designing shirts for our teams or learning the language and culture of the host country.

Q: What attracted you to the PACE International program?

A: PACE International not only gave me the opportunity to travel but as a history and exploration enthusiast, I was most attracted to its fundamental purpose of nurturing the students to learn, engage and appreciate the culture and history of Australia’s neighbouring countries like Vietnam.

Q: What advice would you give a student who is thinking of applying for a PACE International activity?

A: I was away for four weeks to a place I hadn’t been before, which spoke a language I was unfamiliar with and that approached each day different to what I was accustomed to at home. You’ll be working as a team with members of different opinions, strengths and weaknesses. My advice would be to remain flexible and proactive — so avoid stressing if things don’t go as planned. In fact, you’ll find that a ‘go with the flow’ mentality is deeply rooted in the culture of many developing nations.

Q: What was the best part of your PACE International experience?

A: Aside from the travelling and exploring I got to do on the weekends, what I really valued most from my PACE International experience was the engagement in work and the people. I worked on more than just one project over the month and even when I finished, there’d always be something to do. Throughout the month volunteering, I also took pride in the little things that seemed to put a smile on the faces of people from the host country. Just conversing in English or sharing ideas or meals goes a long way. You discover the untold stories of people that have lived in small towns and cities their whole lives.

Ryan Lee

“I have been learning a lot about marketing at university, but to go out and practice it in another country with different cultures in an invaluable experience. The PACE International experience will show employers that you have the ability to go past what you’ve actually learned at university and that you can use your skills in an international context.”

Stephanie Hickman

"My experience with KOTO through PACE International was even more fulfilling than I anticipated. The opportunity to apply skills to a professional project, while working with and amongst another culture is the best of both worlds. I hope to be able to work with KOTO again in the future. The friendships made, the cultural experience and professional development gained are all invaluable."

Denise Celestino

"Working for KOTO changed my perspectives on life and clarified my own path to the future. It has shown me that passion, hope and hard work can get you to achieve so much. Working in a different work environment gave me so many different experiences I can utilise in future careers but getting to the know the students, teachers, staff and alumni made this experience even better than I expected."

Tamara Frary

“Travelling abroad to various countries could not have prepared me in the same way as working overseas. PACE International allowed me to develop my cross-cultural relations. I learnt worldly knowledge from a perspective I have never been given the chance to learn from before. The PACE International program gave me the support that I wouldn’t have been able to receive on my own. This was the perfect way to gain a stronger understanding of cross-cultural relations and a great stepping stone to working abroad on my own in the future.”