Job #4: Living & Working in Laos
There was a time in my life when I didn’t have to work. However, I chose to work, because I didn’t know how to rest, and I placed my sense of worth in my labor. Life has taught me to better prioritize both rest and work. This is the story of my work, as an expat in Vientiane, Laos during my late 20s in 2006.
Friend: Lagos? That’s dope! You moving to the Motherland?!
Me: Not Lagos, Laos. Southeast Asia.
Friend: Hold on sis… are you sure about this?
This was me, as I packed up a portion of my worldly possessions, sold and donated the rest, and prepared to move to Laos. I was engaged at the time, and after experiencing the untimely deaths of friends from high school and college, my father, and my grandmother, I was emotionally taxed. So I quit my job at LISC, eloped in Bangkok, Thailand and began a new chapter in Vientiane, Laos.
My familiarity with Laos was limited, primarily through the Hmong students that participated in programming I coordinated while working at the Greater Lansing Urban League. This experience, coupled with the brochures, videos, and Embassy reports I studied before I arrived were the extent of my knowledge. I was on an overly optimistic faith walk and had no doubts everything would work out. Honestly, it wasn’t until I saw the cow in the middle of the road upon arrival to my new country of residence that I thought:“Where am I???”
Although Laos was not my first time out of the country, a study abroad in Europe nor a 5-day cruise to Cozumel by no means prepared me for the culture shock I experienced as one of few Black women and the only African American in an entire country at the time. To say I was navigating a lot of change was an understatement: new country, new life as a wife, grieving lots of loved ones, and for the first time in my life since I was 13 years old, not working. Fortunately, I was graciously welcomed into an expat community that took good care of me as a newcomer to Vientiane; the capital city of Laos. Two sisterfriends that stand out the most were Sunee and Tambi. Sunee was from Thailand, a masterful chef, fashionista, and dedicated distance runner. Tambi was from Zambia, an environmentalist, and equal parts caring and no nonsense. From these two especially, I felt affirmed, encouraged, and supported in an unfamiliar country.
Coming from Chicagoland, my life was fast paced and highly regimented, down to the minute. The regional commute coupled with constant travel for work to sites across the country was a lot to navigate. And while I initially appreciated the slower pace rooted in Buddhist culture I was surrounded by in Laos, I admittedly became bored. I was uncomfortable slowing down so drastically and felt guilty about not needing to work because all of our living expenses were covered.
I began volunteering not long after I arrived, initially shadowing the legendary Madame Dangers who oversaw the Don Koi Child Development Center which was supported by Church World Services. Madame Dangers was gracious enough to take me to various project sites showcasing the talents of youth of various ages as they completed community mapping projects, recycling efforts, and mud house construction. I then connected with Women’s International Group which help fund infrastructure projects at local schools including constructing the walls, floors, and windows to classrooms which were exposed to the elements particularly during the rainy season. I spent a bit of time volunteering at World Concern Laos, an international nonprofit which allowed me to visit local projects beyond Vientiane into the other provinces across the country.
I eventually landed a contractual position at another international nonprofit, World Vision Laos where I primarily served as a grantwriter. I wrote about several projects focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness, food security, disaster management, and youth development. I also worked on projects focused on safely removing unexploded ordinance (UXO); the atrocious remnants of the Vietnam War where countless United States bombs remained undetonated across the provinces of Laos causing continued suffering to the people impacted by them.
During a 7-month timeframe, I developed proposals for consideration by several international funders. While the actual grant writing was important, its significance was outweighed by the need to formalize and maintain positive working relationships with key officials at all levels within the Laos government. Strong partnerships between the government and a non-government organization (NGO) could mean the difference between a village having access to food and clean drinking water or relying solely on scarce resources.
My first supervisor in Laos was Seamus, my first boss who was not a Black woman. Seamus was from England and was a patient servant leader with an extensive background in international development. One day over lunch, he gave me a bit of career advice which has stuck with me nearly 20 years: the importance of managing my expectations. Seamus understood people and knew how to build authentic relationships. I credit him for modeling how to onboard staff into an unfamiliar space, while leveraging their skills and interests to accomplish greater organizational goals.
With only 3 months experience in Laos, I had minimal knowledge of the culture, its geographic diversity, and the limitations of its data collection systems. Despite these obstacles, my work helped support the necessary collaborations with key government officials to move the projects forward. I regularly travelled to other parts of Laos including Pakse, Savannakhet, Boulikhnmxay, and Salavan & Khammoune, separate from the southeast Asian countries I visited for leisure. These efforts led to the implementation of 9 large-scale projects totaling $4.5 million; an unprecedented investment from an international NGO implementing community development initiatives within Laos. While the actual projects didn’t get underway for years later, I’m grateful for the early contributions I made to the work moving forward.
It was my plan to eventually get an MBA, and at some point, I read that reading the Economist regularly provides useful insight on the topics studied in business school. Because World Vision had a subscription to the Economist, I started reading it weekly, with plans of eventually becoming a management consultant. I was most familiar with McKinsey & Co., because of their role facilitating the strategic planning process prior to my arrival at LISC. It was also during this time I became fascinated by and enamored with Helen D. Gayle. Back then she was leading Care, an Atlanta-based international nonprofit which focuses on combatting global poverty. She’s now serving as the president of Spelman College.
Toward the end of 2006, it became clear a departure from Laos was on the horizon. When and where to next were both unclear. When you’re contemplating the next move, it is challenging to remain present because mentally, you’re already gone. So once the unthinkable happened — while at work, our home was robbed — I resigned from my job, we cut our time short in Laos, and returned to the States.
I arrived in Laos desiring a sense of peace and left wanting the exact same thing. Though we left abruptly, not able to properly bid farewell to many friends we made, I can look back and acknowledge that living in Laos was a beautiful time in my life. I plan to return someday, and I’ll need to manage my expectations given the amount of development that has occurred since I was there some 17 years ago.
While I have no regrets about working in Laos, I often wonder what life would have been like had I not chose to work, and fully embrace the rest I needed. World Vision was the workspace I transitioned into truly shaping a career path. Just like each job prior, it was equal parts challenging, complex, and in so many ways, rewarding.
I’m grateful to have connections with many of the people I met in Laos years ago. Including Sunee & Tambi whom I would cross paths with while living in the DMV, the next locale I would call home.
