'LOCAL HERO,' Tiger Tales, Nov 2009 - During his first visit to South-East Asia, Neal Bermas took an evening stroll through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. What he saw forever changed the way he viewed the world.

“I came across these lovely, sad, desperate kids trying to sell postcards and offering to shine my shoes,” he recalls. “I’d seen some poverty in the United States but not to that level – of unfortunate kids trying to survive on the streets.” The imagery of this experience stayed with Neal and, as he continued his travels and saw even more extreme poverty, he vowed to be more than just a tourist. Eleven years on, Neal has stayed true to his word. A successful consultant in the hospitality industry, he used his knowledge and international contacts to establish STREETS International, a not-for-profit social enterprise that runs hospitality training programmes for street kids and other disadvantaged youth.

The first STREETS training centre and restaurant opened in Hoi An in June, with a class of 16 trainees between the ages of 16 and 22. “We had 80 applicants,” says Neal, “which was a lot considering we were just on the ground.” The intensive 18-month programme includes professional cooking lessons by top chefs, training in hospitality services and management, and English classes. Students are also given the chance to practise their skills at a real-world restaurant. “Our model is fully sustainable,” he explains “It’s designed so that all the revenue from the restaurant goes to support the programme.”

Along with the training, students are given accommodation, food and a monthly allowance. “We’ve done a lot of things, such as giving them all new bicycles for transportation,” says Neal, “not just because we can afford to but because people rise to the level at which they’re treated – whether you’re a street kid or a successful executive.”

At the end of the programme, the students receive an internationally certified credential from the renowned Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

While establishing the charity, Neal has been commuting for the past year between New York and Vietnam. “The travelling can be exhausting,” he admits, “but the passion and excitement about what we are doing has got me through my worst moments.”

To Neal, it’s the little things that make it worthwhile. “I was riding my bicycle to the restaurant on the morning of our opening,” he recalls. “As I turned the corner I could see that the whole front was covered in beautiful flower arrangements. You literally could not get through the front door. It was just gorgeous!” He has since learned that whenever a business opens in Vietnam, people in the community send their best wishes in the form of flowers. “It was remarkable knowing that we’d been accepted by the whole community. You definitely wouldn’t get that reception in New York City.”

STREETS is about to welcome a second cohort of students and there are plans to launch training centres in the Philippines and Laos. STREETS has already been in touch with potential employees. “Finding human resources in the kitchen is a challenge, especially in developing countries,” says Neal “With the level of training we provide, people are already excited about the level of professionals we will be able to supply for them. For these students, their lives really have been turned around in a remarkable way.”