While we are sad to say farewell to our amazing General Manager, Jesse Blaine, Children in Families (CIF) recently welcomed our new General Manager, Lynny Sor. Jesse is passing the torch and will focus more on pastorship.
We are excited for this incredible, resilient Khmer woman to join our team. She is a wife, mother of three, an accomplished academic, and a former refugee.
In August, she hit the ground running with us. Not wanting to be a manager who is trapped behind her desk always doing administration, Lynny’s goals are to promote a team of staff that functions well. She expressed that there needs to be a balance of systems between admin, working with donors, taking care of people, and ensuring our processes are running smoothly. This will strengthen the quality of our programs and work. Lynny wants to see our staff with clearly defined roles, understand their goals, and excel at their jobs.
From Beach to Refugee Camp
Her life started in the southern Cambodian town of Kampot. Clashes between pockets of Khmer Rouge and the government made the area unsafe – like much of rural Cambodia in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Her uncle convinced the family to go to Indonesia in hopes of eventually calling Australia home.
At only seven-years-old, Lynny left the life she knew to spend six years in a refugee camp in Indonesia. Although there was no school for the Khmer refugees, Lynny’s father, who was a teacher, continued to teach his children as best as he could. Lynny learned to read with a Khmer Bible that was available at a refugee church.
The family never made it to Australia. In 1996, as Cambodia became more stable, they returned home. This time, they moved to the opposite end of the country. Lynny and her family settled in Rattanakiri, which is in the beautiful, forest covered hills near the northeastern border. Lynny returned to school at 13 and excelled, despite the obstacles.
After completing secondary school in Rattanakiri, she moved to Phnom Penh. There she studied accounting for undergraduate and went on to get her Master Degree in Business Administration.
Finally, Australia
Lynny is clearly a person who loves to learn. She received a scholarship to study in Melbourne, Australia a few years ago. Toward the end of her International Development Studies, CIF’s board of directors contacted her with an offer for the General Manager position.
I asked Lynny how this all came about. She answered, “I let God decide.” She explained that in her last six months of her studies in Australia, she wanted to approach her return to Cambodia with open hands. That was when CIF unexpectedly contacted her.
Experience
Her previous jobs included working with women in leadership – both old and young – in the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia. EFC is one of the biggest Christian Council in Cambodia. She was also involved with a volunteering organisation called Youth Star Cambodia. Youth Star worked to empower fresh bachelor graduates and communities throughout Cambodia. Through the experiences and knowledge she has acquired, she hopes to make an effective contribution to the children and families through CIF.
As the interview process for CIF continued, the board found Lynny to be a great fit.
Join us in welcoming Lynny. We look forward to growing together as a team and organization. May we all strive to strengthen communities, families, and children across Cambodia.