Around 3:30 p.m. every day, Khoa prepares everything to push his steamed tofu cart to sell on Hoang Sa Street, Ho Chi Minh City. The 25-year-old man shows agility, resourcefulness, and professionalism in every step, no less than a veteran cake seller.
There were days when Khoa sold 400 pieces of tofu, without time to rest. Customers lined up to buy a box of tofu. To get the reception he has now, Khoa has gone through many difficulties that seemed impossible to overcome.
1. The rashness of youth and the debt of 100 million VND
Huynh Anh Khoa (born in 1998, from Dak Nong) dropped out of school in 11th grade. While his peers were busy with schoolwork, Khoa had to do many jobs to make a living in the expensive city.
He used to do plaster ceiling and mechanical work. After that, he followed the path of a professional gamer. This was the turning point that made his life turn a new page.
Mr. Khoa shared with reporters: "I was young and reckless, and loved to play. About 2-3 years ago, when I was pursuing a career as a professional gamer, I could not avoid temptations. From then on, I threw myself into games and ended up in debt.
The figure was up to 100 million VND. Luckily, my parents were easy-going. When they found out about my situation, they didn't scold me, they just encouraged me to start over."
Contrary to the reporter's initial thoughts, Anh Khoa showed maturity, politeness, and concern for the future through the conversation. Although only 25 years old, Khoa's deep voice and far-sighted manner made the person talking to him feel that he was more mature than ten years older.
Khoa said that every time he returns to his hometown, the question he fears most is: "What have you been doing in the city lately? Is life okay?"
He didn't know how to answer because he felt he couldn't do anything. Meanwhile, his friends all had wives and children and settled down.
Many times, the young man born in 1998 felt sad when he didn't have enough money to send phone cards to his father. Those moments gave Khoa the motivation to change his life.
2. Sell the only means of transportation to make a living
During a trip to An Giang, Anh Khoa accidentally learned about steamed tofu. Many young people were curious about this dish on social networks at that time.
After learning about the needs, he decided to start a business, ending his days of working for a salary.
The 25-year-old man learned how to make the dish himself and improved every day. He rented the space for 2.5 million VND/month, selling from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
In the early days, Khoa’s tofu cart did not attract any customers. Therefore, maintaining it became difficult. He often wondered: Should he give up and return to a safer life?
"At that time, I really didn't have enough capital to maintain it. I tried to borrow money but couldn't, so I decided to sell my only means of transportation to get back on my feet," Khoa recounted.
During his down times, Khoa was lucky to have friends and family to support him. Thanks to that, he has been able to hold on until now.
Khoa started to learn and practice making videos to post on social media platforms. Thanks to his honest stories, he and his tofu cart became known to many people. Many TikTokers also came and filmed their own videos of experiencing the food.
Although he has only been on this social network for 2 months, many of his fellow countrymen and friends have recognized Khoa. They have helped him a lot in the process of building the channel.
Khoa filmed most of the videos himself. Sometimes, he asked people around him to record them for him if they had free time.
Thanks to that, the Dak Nong man’s customers are increasing day by day. His steamed tofu with salt, pepper and lemon costs 14,000 VND if you add all the ingredients.
He said that his profit after deducting all other expenses fluctuates between 1.3-1.5 million VND, the highest day is 1.7 million VND.
3. When negative comments come...
Anh Khoa's day starts at 7am. He goes to the market alone, prepares ingredients, picks Vietnamese coriander, peels quail eggs, makes chili salt... By the time he finishes cleaning the cart, it's already midnight.
When he was accepted by many people and became famous on social networks, the guy born in 1998 could not avoid negative comments.
Some people think that a 14,000 VND piece of tofu is too expensive. Some people even asked Khoa if he had closed his shop yet?
When faced with malicious comments, Khoa did not avoid them. He made a video to show everyone how he put effort into making the dish.
The young man is calm and spreads positivity. Even though he is not done taking care of himself, Khoa still intends to help others.
Mr. Khoa plans to call for partners to expand his business. In the future, he hopes to focus on traditional, simple dishes that are close to everyone.
At the end of June, Khoa's mother will come to Ho Chi Minh City to help him. At that time, he will have more time to prepare for bigger plans.
The Dak Nong boy said: "After going through so many things, I want to tell young people that if you have any goals you want to achieve, just stand up and try to do it. Because when you do it, you will know what new things are waiting ahead."
Many times, Anh Khoa felt sorry for himself and regretted leaving school early. When his friends were still reminiscing about their school days, he was already struggling to make a living.
However, in return, Khoa said, the most valuable thing he received was the experiences and failures to get up and start again.
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