When Mao first started working in a hotel kitchen, she was 16. Like so many young people here, she had to leave school early. There simply wasn’t enough money at home, and her family needed her to work. She had no experience, so she started out washing dishes.

The hours were brutal. She worked a split shift, which meant she was in the kitchen scrubbing pots and pans and dirty plates all morning and all evening, with barely time to catch her breath.

But she could watch the cooks - and watch she did. She watched what ingredients they used for the various dishes and how they put things together. She noticed the informal dance of the kitchen and told herself she would like to be the choreographer in her own kitchen one day.

One morning, the shift cook didn’t turn up for work. A group of visitors was heading out to the temples, and the hotel needed a large batch of sandwiches. No one knew what to do.

Well, actually one someone knew what to do.

“I can make them,” Mao said.

The manager hesitated. “I don’t think so…”

But she was confident. “I’ve been watching. Please let me try. If it’s not good, you don’t have to use them.”

She made one sandwich for the manager, and she was in! She made the full batch for the group’s outing. When they returned, they were happy.

It was only sandwiches — but it was the beginning of Mao’s kitchen dance.

She kept learning. She continued to watch closely and began to pepper the cooks with questions. She practised whenever she could. Over time, the hotel owner noticed her determination and offered her a chance to cook properly.

She said yes immediately.

She wasn’t working in a fancy kitchen. The hotel was small and the menu simple. But she took every opportunity seriously. She paid attention and worked harder than ever. She began experimenting on her own and thinking of new ways to prepare and present food. After all, just because a hotel is not fancy doesn’t mean its guests should not eat good food.

As it happened, Mao was also friends with Pheap, and when we were looking for a cook at our Heartprint House, Pheap gave her a strong recommendation.

“Let’s meet her,” we said.

We did, and we loved her. Of course, we needed to test out her skills and were impressed with the Khmer dishes she prepared for us.

Garry asked her if she knew how to make spaghetti bolognese. He offered to show her his recipe. She smiled and said, “Let me cook it for you first.”

She did. And he never again tried to teach her how to cook!

Mao is gifted. She is one of those rare people who can taste something and understand it instantly — the layers, the balance, what’s missing, what works. And that talent came to light and works because she paired it with dedication, determination, and sheer persistence.

And now Mao is the Chef at our newly opened Heartprint Hub. Her menu is amazing and the dishes are authentic and scrumptious!

Just as with Mao’s long term dream of becoming a chef, the Heartprint Hub has been our long term dream. It is so exciting that these two dreams have converged into one lovely reality.

Years ago, when we ran our first Community Centre during COVID, we tried a small café. It was a way to survive, to bring in a little income when everything else had stopped. We hoped a few expats might buy an iced coffee and help us keep going.

But it was hard to balance children’s programs and a café in the same space. It didn’t feel right, having them operate in such close proximity. So we closed it, with the promise that one day we would open in another location - bigger and better.

Now, at the Hub, we already have nine staff members, with more to come. And this is just the beginning.

The Hub allows us to train young people, mums, and adults who often fall through the cracks.

We are not trying to replace existing hospitality schools. In fact, our friends at Haven do wonderful work, and we still want our young people to train there.

But there is often a gap between leaving school and being able to access formal training. And many mums and older community members don’t qualify at all.

The Hub fills those gaps.

It gives people a place to learn, practise, gain confidence, and discover what they’re capable of and what they enjoy.

It also gives our kids real work experience. They can try hospitality during school holidays to see if it’s truly what they want before committing.

And, it gives people a wonderful place to eat fresh, delicious food!

We have to say that building Heartprint Hub was not easy. It took nearly six months to transform an old backpackers’ hostel into what it is today. We removed between 80 and 100 bunk beds. We knocked down walls. We rebuilt. We repainted. We brought in plants. Lots of plants!

There were many late nights, long days, and plenty of worry.

In addition to Wendy and Garry being directly involved in all of the work, we also employed some local families to help with the renovations.

(As an aside - Wendy and Garry also personally funded Stage One of the the Hub, just to ensure it got off the ground as quickly as possible.)

We’re proud to say that Stage Two - the Hair and Beauty Training Academy - is already funded and underway.

Stage Three will bring our mums from the Community Centre into the Hub, placing them in a real work environment. They’ll learn additional critical skills for the workplace: punctuality, presentation, customer service, and confidence.

When we look at Mao, who started by washing dishes and now choreographs our kitchen with grace, skill, creativity and great aplomb, we see the clearest example of why we were so determined to make Heartprint Hub a reality.

A reality for people who are willing to work hard and who just need a chance. For people who start with nothing but determination and can turn it into a better future.

Sometimes, all it takes is a sandwich.

And someone willing to say, “Yes. I’ll try.”

As always, thank you for your support,

Your HP team

The Story of Mao: How a Sandwich Launched a Career