The Lao Oz Team
Executive Committee
President - Vicky Rattanavong
Vice President - Lorenza Blumenthal
Public Officer - Sydaney Boutkaska-Moog
Secretary - Rob Blumenthal
Treasurer - Vonevaly Vongthevanh
General Committee
Executive Advisor - Pauline Phayvanh Phoumindr
Cultural Co-Ordinator - Vonevaly Vongthevanh
Andrew Ditthavong
Viradeth B Chitdamrong
Lao Oz Team Profiles
Vicky Rattanavong
President
My name is Vicky Rattanavong, Co-Founder and President of Lao Oz Incorporated. I was born in Vientiane, capital city of Laos. At the age of 8, I moved to live with my aunt in Haute Savoie, a French city near the border of Switzerland where I continued my primary and secondary education. After 9 years in France, as a teenager I moved again to live in Australia where I now call home. In Sydney, I gained my tertiary qualification (Bachelor of Arts in Languages)
Since I was young, I have fallen in love with Lao dance, language and culture. I have been a self-taught person by reading books, observing and listening to stories from Lao elderly people. During my university years, I started to be involved in the Lao community in Sydney by participating in Lao dance performances and other cultural activities. Later on, together with a group of Lao youth living in Sydney, I co-founded “Radio Jumpa”, the first live community radio in Sydney broadcasting in Lao language.
I have passion for volunteering and inspiring people to share their time and their knowledge with the others and this was the very reason why I co-founded Lao Oz Incorporated, through which I hope to be able to fulfil my dreams – to preserve and promote our Lao culture and language for our Lao-Australian young generation. My other strong passion is to share my skills and experience to the Lao youth in Laos so they can build up their confidence. I believe that, with confidence, they will be empowered to be successful adults in the future. I love traveling and experience different culture and specially trying different food.
Lorenza Blumenthal
Vice President
Having been born in the Netherlands and then migrating to Australia at an early age I can understand why it is so important to keep a connection to your cultural background. This is one of the aims of Lao Oz that I feel is so important.
My connection to Laos has grown thanks to travelling there a number of times. On each visit I have met so many beautiful people, many of whom I now consider as “family”. While in Laos and also here in Sydney, I have grown to love so many things about Lao culture that I want to do my best to help it remain strong and also relevant to the younger generation.
Being self-employed, I know what it takes to stay motivated and aim for my goals. It is my drive and determination that I try to bring to my role with Lao Oz. I also have a passion for connecting with people and love working hard for a good cause.
I also feel strongly about the Lao Oz aim to help improve education opportunities for primary school children in Laos. I have a firm belief that a good education is the key to improving ones situation in life.
Rob Blumenthal
Secretary
I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. My first visit to Laos was in 2011, with my wife Lorenza. Rather than doing the usual tourist trip we travelled there with a Lao/Australian friend I met at work. We stayed with the friend’s family in a village just outside Vientiane and got an insight into life in Laos. We fell in love with the country and the people.
In 2012, we returned to Laos. In Vientiane, we had a chance meeting with two local people that had a huge influence on us. The fact they wanted to practice their English and go out of their way to show Lorenza and I more of the sights and culture made a big impact. This helped us forge an ongoing family connection and has seen us return to Laos a number of times since.
I first connected with Lao Oz when I attended a beginner’s Lao language course. After finding out more about the work Lao Oz was doing I made the decision to try and get more involved. With a background in project planning and a long management career in the corporate world, I wanted to put these skills to good use helping a grass roots community group.
My other passions in life are travel, food and good wine. I have often said, “of all the places in the world someone could retire, Luang Prabang would be my pick”.
Pauline Phayvanh Phoumindr
Executive Advisor
My motto: Knowledge is Power.
I was born in Pakse a city in the South of Laos. I am a co-founder and currently the Executive Advisor of Lao Oz Incorporated.
I left Laos as a refugee during my early teenage, while the country was in turmoil, to come to stay in refugee camps in Thailand for four years before coming to live in Australia – my new home.
My early years in Australia saw me very busy with trying to settle in the new country – studying, working, looking after the family, helping Lao community in Sydney, to name a few. This process has proved to be a life-long journey. While a lot of us are still busy settling in Australia, suddenly we found that there are second and even third generation of Lao community in Australia. I am perhaps one of the lucky few who may be considered truly bilingual in the sense that I can communicate with both generation without language barrier. With this insight, I can see that it is evident that there is generation gap and I feel obliged to bridge this gap to the best of my capacity and ability.
All my tertiary education took place in Australia and to gain those qualifications was by no means easy. First of all, I had to switch from French and Lao to English language but the hardest part was to fulfil my own expectations. Because my passion was to help people, I chose to study Social Science as under-graduate and Applied Linguistics as post-graduate with the hope that I will learn about human needs and how to apply effective communication in helping them. I have worn many hats since, mainly due to life obligations but also due to my own passion - a true blessing. I hardly ask myself “what have I done so far?” but rather “what haven’t I done yet?” and my “to do” list is still incredibly long. A worry!
For years, I have been involved with Australian based community and welfare organisations, both for work and personal. Then one day, about five years ago, a group of 4-5 young Lao Australian people knocked at my door and said to me in chorus: “Sister we would like to learn Lao language, please teach us”. So that’s how it all started. A bit later, we formed ourselves a small group called “Lao Oz Incorporated”. My dream has come true! Through Lao Oz I have become a bridge – the very bridge that will help in bridging generation gap in Australia, the very bridge that will bring together Lao people everywhere in the world.
As a co-founder of Lao-Oz and now their executive advisor, I found that the role has been challenging and very demanding but I would not exchange this precious experience with anything else on earth.
By the way, interestingly, I have been asked often whether I consider myself to be Lao or Australian and whether there is any conflict of identity within myself? I have heard very long answers with complex academic reasons from other people but for me, the answer is simple: “I am ‘me’, and I am comfortable and very proud to be Lao-Australian”.
Vonevaly Vongthevanh
Cultural Co-Ordinator
I have been a member of Lao Oz since 2012 being one of the co-founders. I am currently a member of the committee and also the Cultural Co-Ordinator, I was previously the treasurer.
My active support for Lao Oz takes on many forms, including getting involved with a Lao Food Fundraiser stall, fundraising events at the Lao Temple at Bonnyrigg. I have also loved being involved in other events like the charity dinners we have held at Silver Pearl, and events with the Southern Lao Friendship Society.
Sharing ideas and skills with other people makes me so happy. I have had the chance to do this via workshops I have organised for Lao Oz, like fruit carving, beading and flower arranging.
In Laos I have been involved in a number of field trips for Lao Oz. In 2014 visiting Ban Namakmee Primarily School Xaybuathong District Khammuan Province LAOS, donating foods and sports equipment. This was such a rewarding experience.
2018 was also very exciting, getting to visit Ban Tam Primary School in Vientiane Province and teaching Basic English Skills and Cultural exchange with the locals. I love being involved like this and interacting directly with people.
My passion is to preserve Lao culture in Australia, bridging the generations gap between the Lao people here in Australia and overseas and supporting unprivileged kids in Laos.
