Here in the PoP office we know how important it is that we keep you updated on the progress of our schools. After all, it is your continued support that has enabled us to provide basic education for children in developing nations. With that, we want to tell you all about Lanoy Keosuvan. As our Laos Country Coordinator, Lanoy has been a vital part of the Pencils of Promise movement and her contributions have proven invaluable. Read her profile below and join us in celebrating Lanoy as an amazing member of the Pencils of Promise family.
Name: Lanoy Keosuvan
Position at PoP: Lao Country Coordinator
Location: Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Interesting facts about Lanoy:
– Has 8 brothers and sisters
– Learned how to play basketball in 1994 and then was asked to join the National Lao Women’s Basketball team in 1998
– Played professional basketball on the Lao team for 13 years with tournaments in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and China
– Finished college with a focus on accounting and finance
– Favorite things include: basketball (of course), snow (although she has yet to see it firsthand), and jeeps (although she has never ridden in one)
Fun facts about Lanoy working at Pencils of Promise:
– Was working at a guesthouse when Adam Braun asked her to join PoP
– Officially started learning English only 2 years ago
– After Adam Braun, Lanoy was the first person to work for PoP
– She just celebrated her 2nd anniversary of being with PoP!
– Her first few notebooks for PoP had sharks on the covers so they were named accordingly: “sharkbooks.” From then on, all of her PoP notebooks have become known as “sharkbooks.”
A moment with PoP that Lanoy will never forget:
“When we were at the Champhet dormitories [prior to working for PoP], I was surprised of the state they were in; they were pitiful. I did not know how I could help them since I really did not understand much about this Pencils of Promise program. After we came back from Champhet, I asked Adam about the schools’ and dormitories’ needs. He explained to me but I only understood some of his words [due to my limited English]. It was then that he told me what I needed to do in order to help this organization.
He said I must:
- Know more about other partner programs [like Pencils of Promise] in the area;
- Know general information about the villages [in Northern Laos];
- Learn English;
- Learn computer skills; and,
- Learn to use a digital camera
After our talk, I realized that I wanted to learn and help others in Laos receive an education.”
Her responsibilities at PoP include:
– Being in charge of the construction workers
– Scouting for new partnerships for PoP to build schools
– Handling government-related logistics
– Checking on all of the PoP schools that are being built and have already been completed
When asked about her lifelong goals, Lanoy responded, “I want to help everyone – I want to help the people in the countryside. The people in the city know how to work but the people in the countryside only have rice fields. No businesses, no factories, nothing much. I want to help these people…and I can help them by working with Pencils of Promise.”
Do not hesitate to write in the blog comments area if you have any questions or comments for Lanoy!