While sampling the beach stores and multiple bars in Nha Trang, we came across a very special lady owner of a very special bar and restaurant.The Crazy Kim bar is named after its owner, Kim Le. Kim first left Vietnam in the early 80’s looking for a better life. Her journey brought her all the way to Canada where she lived and studied at Concordia University in Montreal for twelve years. Having studied in education, she decided to come back to her roots for a temporary teaching position in Nha Trang.
It’s not long before Kim realise the booming city has a very dark secret of which Nha Trang’s street children are the most numerous victim : like many other popular asian beach destination, Nha Trang was dealing with it’s own child prostitution issues.
Appalled by the children abuse, she embarks on a sexual predator chase, helping authorities to catch a few offenders. Rumour has it that the name ‘Crazy Kim’ came around that time…
But investigation and procedures are long and the
arrest minimal. So in 1992 she decided to open her café and use it as a base for her operations. Knowing that poverty and lack of education are roots to this problem, Mrs Le decided to use the backyard adjacent to her restaurant to give a basic education to the children of Nha Trang.Six days a week and completely free of charge, Kim takes in children and young teenager and teaches them Vietnamese, English, and computer science for half a day. The kids are also given a free hot meal after each class. The operation is volunteer operated – tourists can donate time and thus participate to the kids education – and partly founded by the bar and merchandising profits. Her ‘Hands off kids’ t-shirt are indeed quiet popular!
From only a few in the beginning, Crazy Kim’s school now welcomes close to fifty kids each day. In addition of this basic education, the kids are also taken on a monthly half-day field trip in the region. As Kim Le says herself: ‘These kids families are so poor that they can’t afford a proper education, let alone some fun time outside this town. I have the means to help them takes to the profit coming in from the bar so it’s only natural that I offer them these chance of just having fun. They are, after all, a bit like my own children.’How can anyone resist? H.
Crazy Kim Bar
19 Biet Thu st, Nha Trang, phone : 816 072
