from street kid to chef

Everyday Sophat creates a symphony of flavours.  He chops, slices and dices; he grills and bakes and fries.  He tempts the tastebuds of tourists from all over Phnom Penh as he cooks their next meal of the day.  Sophat is a great cook. 

For Sophat, this is a dream come true - and a life he would have thought impossible only a few years before. 

Growing up on the streets, Sophat was a rough and ready street boy.  He'd tried a recovery program in the past and hadn't been able to complete it.  Still, he was taken in by a local shelter that cared for street boys and referred to Career Pathways Training Program in September 2007. 

With countless challenges ahead of him, and a difficult attitude to contend with, Sophat began Career Pathways and completed his first three months of soft skills training.  As he though about which Hagar training program to go through, he decided on cooking and began training with Hagar Catering.  The six month training program gave him experience in four different cooking sites and exposed him to different cuisines. 

Not only was he talented at what he did, but all the chefs with whom he worked really appreciated Sophat's character and attitude.  When Sophat graduated from the cooking training, he interviewed with a popular western restaurant and landed as job as a cook!  He will learn English on the job and make countless tourists happy with the meals he makes.    

For a young man who grew up on the streets cooking is his dream come true.