Leadership
Project Enlighten, Board of Directors
Asad Rahman, International Manager
Olivia Lorge, Assistant International Project Manager
Founders of Project Enlighten, Asad Rahman and Olivia Lorge are Wildland Firefighters in the USA. Asad has been passionately fighting fires since 1985 and traveling internationally for almost as long. Olivia's involvement in fighting fires initially started during her voluntary two year commitment to AmeriCorps* National Civilian Community Corps, in 1995. She returned to wildland firefighting again in 2001 through the U.S. Forest Service. Asad & Olivia share a common ethos, that all human kind shall have the right to a life of respect and dignity.
Asad Rahman and Olivia Lorge traveled to Cambodia together in 2005, in search of a young street boy Asad had met years before in Phnom Penh. The boy had left such a significant impression in Asad's heart, that he could not forget him. It was through pure happenstance or as some would say, fate, that Asad & Olivia found the boy residing in Aki Ra's Landmine Museum, roughly 240 kilometers away from where they first met. This chance meeting with the young landmine survivor inspired a dream to help children in Cambodia attain a higher education. In 2006 The Cambodia Landmine Kids College Fund was initiated with the intent of helping the children at Aki Ra's Museum have the opportunity to expand their learning platform. Through challenging, hard work, dedication and the support of many people internationally, Asad and Olivia have been able to comprise the workings of an Education Fund for the youth at Aki Ra's Museum.
After receiving overwhelming requests to support projects that spanned outside of the original intent of The College fund, Asad & Olivia saw there was a greater need to provide humanitarian support worldwide. Their vision is to have an accountable, legitimate and transparent organization that enables them to provide respectful humanitarian assistance worldwide. With the initiation of Project Enlighten, all of this is possible while allowing them to continue to support to Aki Ra's children at the Landmine Museum. As is with firefighting, when the bell is rung, we answer the call. The bell is ringing- will you respond along side us?
Matt Keyes and Riva Duncan
Matt is a forester and Riva is a wildland firefighter in the USA. Riva grew up in Indiana and is a graduate of Purdue University. Matt grew up in Massachusetts and is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. Matt's parents, both teachers, instilled a love of travel and other cultures in Matt, and he passed that on to Riva. Matt and Riva met Asad Rahman and Olivia Lorge in 2006 and were immediately moved by their stories of their experiences in Cambodia and their dream for Project Enlighten. Matt and Riva had been searching for a way to improve the lives of others and feel they were brought to Olivia and Asad for a reason. They believe strongly in education as the key to empower individuals to improve their own lives and to promote peace. Riva and Matt are to be a part of Project Enlighten, and are committed to helping Asad and Olivia make their dream a reality.
Mike Carroll
Mike Carroll is a trainer/consultant with Mission-Centered Solutions, Inc. where he has spent the past six years working with organizations and their leaders to increase efficiency and effectiveness operating in high-risk environments. Having settled in Colorado in 1989, Mike is a native of Minnesota. One of four children raised in a loving family, Mike’s parents instilled in him a compassion for others, a love of the outdoors and the wonder of discovery. Pursuing the desire to both serve others and challenge himself, Mike joined the military following high school where he spent eight years on assignments both here and abroad. Whether working a commercial fishing boat in Alaska or climbing in South America or the Cascades, Mike’s love of travel and adventure have taken him far and wide. His journeys have given him a great appreciation of the similarities of all people, the unique challenges that some of them face, as well as the power of friendship. Mike, having worked with Asad several times over the past four years while supporting leadership development within the U.S. Forest Service, was honored when Asad asked him to join the Project Enlighten team. He embraces the opportunity to help the team realize its vision of success.
Program Coordinators
Ranachith "Ronnie" Yimsut
Project Enlighten Wisconsin, U.S.A. (Chapter Manager)
Bakong Technical College Founder/Coordinator
Bike & Cow Bank Projects
Born and reared in Siem Reap province, Ronnie Yimsut fled Cambodia after two decades of turmoil, where he witnessed the massacre of nearly his entire family under the Khmer Rouge regime. An orphan, a refugee, and a "political" prisoner at the age of fourteen, he is now a proud naturalized U.S. citizen, a family man, a professional, an author, an educator, an activist and a volunteer back in his native homeland. Ronnie's hobbies include ethnic food & music, native arts & crafts, language, history, custom, cultural awareness, community service/volunteering, gardening, as well as numerous outdoor recreation activities. Ronnie resides in Wisconsin with his wife of over twenty years, a Khmer-American, Thavy. Together, they are raising a daughter and son.
An educated man, Ronnie received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Oregon in 1988. With twenty years of experience as a Landscape Architect/Planner, his contributions to the USDA Forest Service have been extensive. He has been actively involved in various national and international NGO’s and Diversity Committees. Ronnie's involvement in human resource development includes: micro-business development to assist poor urban families, micro-finance lending programs, urban and rural planning, Animal and Seed Bank management in support of local farmers, and special forest product income generation in rural and remote areas. He is a co-founder of Cambodia's "Big Brother, Big Sister" program, which has supported and served over 200 orphans in Cambodia. He has been serving as an Environmental Consultant to the World Monuments Fund on conservation projects at the Angkor World Heritage Site for over a decade. As an activist, Ronnie is the subject of numerous documentary films and news reports, such as CBS News, NBC News, National Geographic Explorer, Europe ARNTE TV, and several independence documentary films.
Ronnie is an accomplished writer, instructor and has provided training to university students. Contact Ronnie at: ryimsut@gmail.com or by phone at: (414) 297-3129 or cell (414) 238-5374
Jill Morse
Education Coordinator, Cambodia
Jill Morse received her Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching credential from University of California, Irvine. She has been a teacher in Palm Springs, California since 1997. Prior to that she spent 20 years in the banking industry working for Great Western Savings, Waltham Savings Bank and Bank of America.
She first became interested in Cambodia in 2003 when she and her husband traveled to Siem Reap to meet a young Khmer man who was clearing landmines for free and had adopted over a dozen children who were victims of the wars that had ravaged Cambodia for nearly 3 decades. She helped establish the Landmine Relief Fund, an American 501c3 to help support the children and the de-mining work.
She became involved with Project Enlighten at its outset and has been involved in educational programs in Cambodia for over 6 years.
She and her husband moved to Siem Reap in October of 2009. Her husband is the International Project Manager for a Khmer de-mining NGO, Cambodian Self Help De-mining. Jill manages the volunteer programs at the Cambodia Landmine Museum and Relief Center and teaches English in its school.
Sim Sao
Khmer Liaison, Project Enlighten Cambodia
I was born in Kampongcham Province in 1973, and grew up during the reign of Khmer Rouge. Many of my family members died during the Khmer Rouge Genocide. The Khmer Rouge separated my parents and oldest siblings from the rest of the family. They were sent to do forced labor in unknown locations. From early 1987 until 1989 I was a Pagoda boy at Ponly Pagoda/Anhcheum Commune, Tbongkhom district, Kampongcham Province. As a Pagoda boy, I served the Monks by collecting food from the villages for them to eat. During this time I began to learn Buddhist prayers and chants from the Monks. I was a student to the Monks before becoming one him self. The Monks took care of me by providing food to eat (Monks would eat first, then temple boys eat second).
1989-1998 I proudly became a Monk in Kampongcham Province. In 2001 I worked as a Hotel Receptionist at a small hotel in Siem Reap until its close in 2004. After, I saved all I could I acquired a tuk tuk & began working in this trade. It was during my time working as a receptionist that I met Asad Rahman. Little did I know this friendship would change my life path forever! In late 2005 Asad returned to Cambodia and we were reunited.
During most of the year, I’m a farmer. I help tend to the family farm, working in the rice fields. I also raise pigs, a trade I’m still learning. During the “tourist season,” I operate a tuk tuk; I proudly provide transportation to people in and around the Siem Reap area and to the Temples of Angkor Wat.
I was recruited by Asad to be a part of the Project Enlighten team and given the opportunity to work, translating (Khmer/English), for Project Enlighten. I have gladly helped in bridging cultural and language barriers for Project Enlighten.
My dream is to build a free education school someday. Emphasis will be on Khmer, Buddhism, Morals & Value, English and computer skills to people three years of age and older. I feel education is the best way to accomplish these dreams. I enrolled in a life skills computer classes but would like to get additional training in English and computer skills so I can be a better teacher. One dream that has become a reality is: http://tuktukforpeace.blogspot.com
John Glenn
Education Coordinator, Burma
Burmese Cultural Liaison
John Glenn is a forcibly displaced Burmese Refugee and recently settled in the United States under the UNHRC resettlement program. He began his involvement in political activities in 1988 and became a member of All Burma Federation of Students’ Union, also known as ABFSU. In 1991, Mr. Glenn distributed pamphlets demanding calls for the release of students from prisons and border areas. Because of these activities, Mr. Glenn was arrested and imprisoned for six years with hard labor. He spent two years in prison and was released in April 1993. He then assisted colleagues in compiling “The History of Students’ Movement 1903-1991." When the book was printed as a draft, the military intelligence community harassed him and sought him for another arrest. Mr. Glenn eluded his tormentors by keeping a low profile and by hiding, finally fleeing to Thai-Burma border in July 2004. Mr. Glenn quickly began working at the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), also known as AAPP in Thailand, as an Officer-In-charge from 2004 to September 2006.
On September 22, 2006, as directed by the United Nations Refugee Agency resettlement program, he entered the Nupo refugee camp near Mae Sot, Thailand. After a few months in camp Mr. Glenn founded the English Speaking Course (ESC). ESC was created so Refugees can improve their future and support Democracy movements in Burma through better education.
In January 2009, Mr. Glenn was granted resettlement in the United States in Houston, TX. He continues to contribute his time and energy as a Coordinator for the Nupo refugee camp school with the goals of obtaining regular funding, providing English-speaking teachers, and developing policy management. He also sets management policy for projects including the construction of a new school, maintenance of a hydro-plant to provide electricity for the school, and developing capacity building and training for students who publish a newsletter every month. He has continued his service to the Burmese community by forming the Refugee Community Empowerment Association (RCEA) that helps other forcibly displaced Burmese Refugees with the resettlement process.
Phouva Vorapanya,
Laos Cultural Liaison, Education Program Laos
Phouva Vorapanya was born on June 1, 1974 in the rural village of Ban (Village) Navangtai, a large farming community in the Navang District of Khammouane Province in central Laos. He spent his childhood farming with his family and attended the primary and secondary schools in Ban Navangtai. In 1985, Phouva left Laos with his aunt and cousin for a refugee camp in Thailand. They spent almost four years in the camp until they were transferred to the Philippines in late 1988. Sponsored by an uncle, Phouva, his aunt, and cousin arrived in the United States on March 31st, 1989, settling in San Diego, CA.
Phouva attended Hoover High School and graduated on June 16, 1993. Shortly after, he went to work for the California Conservation Corps (CCC) for one year while attending Grossmont College. After one semester he then transferred to the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. In 1995, Phouva was accepted to Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, majoring in Forestry and with a minor in Political Science. During summers he worked for the California State Parks. In May of 2003 he proudly graduated from Humboldt State University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry.
After graduation, Phouva moved back to San Diego where he continued to work for the California State Parks. In May of 2005, he was hired by the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service as a wildland firefighter.
Phouva met Asad Rahman and Olivia Lorge during his Wildland firefighter training. Because of their dedication to helping people around the world, they helped inspire him to execute his dream of rebuilding schools in his village, Ban Navangtai, Laos. On December 14, 2008, Asad and Olivia visited his village, staying with Phouva's family. Asad and Olivia assessed the needs of Phouva's primary school as well as the needs of the students and teachers.
Phouva is currently in the process of working with Project Enlighten to assist in rebuilding the schools of his village. By starting this project, Phouva's hope is to extend this program to other surrounding villages. He wants all students, not just as those in his village, to have opportunities to attend enhanced schools with more access to resources. He also hopes to inspire and enable students to further their education beyond their primary, middle, and high school years. Phouva would like to thank Asad and Olivia for all their hard work in reaching out to international communities and for their inspiration in helping him pursue this dream.Our Advisors
Kilong Ung
Kilong Ung of Portland, Oregon USA is a Khmer Rouge genocide survivor, a husband, a father, a Senior Software Engineer and an adjunct Instructor at Portland Community College. He is an accomplished author and storyteller with his most recent work published being "Golden Leaf, a Khmer Rouge Genocide Survivor."
A former Cambodian refugee, Kilong came to the U.S. in the summer of 1979. Education has been an element of importance for him through all his years in the United States. He is Reed College graduate and holds a Masters of Science degree from Bowling Green State University (BGSU).
Kilong Ung has a rich history of involvement and support of humanitarian and community programs. He is President of the Cambodian-American Community of Oregon (CACO), a Rotarian, Royal Rosarian and charter school board director. A speaker and messenger of two million lives claimed by the Khmer Rouge genocide, Kilong has become the voice of those who were silenced by death. It was through one of his speech engagements, that his life crossed paths with Founders of Project Enlighten, Asad and Olivia. He has become one of the most respected sounding boards for many of the ideas and dreams that have filtered into Project Enlighten.
Chann Noun
Chann was born and spent his early years growing up in Cambodia. He is one of the fortunate survivors of the Khmer Rouge’s Genocide in the Killing Fields. He attended Cambodian School of Nursing in Phnom Penh from 1980-1984. Chann struggled for sometime as a refugee, spending nearly 4 years (Aug 1984-Apr 1988) in various refugee camps along Thai-Cambodian borders and 8 months in Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Bataan, Philippines before he immigrated to Saint Paul, Minnesota on December 7, 1988. It was alone that he came to the United States, no family and no friends. With only hope and a great spirit to survive, Chann Noun has become an accomplished family man, professional and community member. He married a Cambodian orphan and emigrant of the Khmer Rouge’s Killing Fields and is raising a daughter with her. He is a graduate from University of Minnesota, holding a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and accounting. His compassion extends beyond an everyday existence in life. He has been volunteering for both non-profit and for-profit companies in various industries within the accounting field. Chann is employed as a Lead Accountant for Exchange of Portland, a maritime related corporation. He holds a volunteer position as treasurer of Cambodian-American Community of Oregon and is an advisory board member for Asian Family Center. He is passionately involved with various humanitarian projects in Cambodia and his local community.
Chanly Bob
Chanly Bob, a simple man with a heart and conscience, living life with a purpose. A simple man, a voice for the world's injustice, and a glimmer of hope for so many living and suffering in a place that took my father, left my families and my people hungry and hopeless. If I were not fortunate enough to be one of the survivors, I would be living their suffering. Fortunately my life is good, too good. Sadly I have to witness their suffering. But I, like the humanitarians of "Project Enlighten", we have a choice to do what is right. We can help ease their suffering. Best yet, we can give them hope. Living in a country infested with landmines and unexploded ordinance is one of the many things the people of Cambodia have to live with each day. And I, in my warm bed, cranky when I don't have my cup of coffee, cranky because I have to take the bus to work…we have a choice. We can do something right, something good. I am a simple man, with a heart and conscience. I am a simple man, living life with a purpose. May the world see our actions and join us in helping to ease the suffering of so many in Cambodia, in this world.
Mark Smith
Mark Smith is a partner in Mission-Centered Solutions, Inc., a company that develops leaders for organizations working in high-risk, high-consequence environments. He is also involved in the 9 Ether Clothing Company, LLC, whose clothing line is dedicated to helping people achieve the 9 levels of superior consciousness.
Mark’s parents introduced the core values of gratitude, duty, honor, love, courage and hope as the foundation for his worldview. During his 22-year military career, he struggled and strived to embody these values on operations throughout the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific and the Balkans. He is well seasoned in the best and the worst of the human experience, and is thoroughly convinced that even the humblest positive action can break down a wall of fear and hopelessness.
Mark and his family have a home in Northeast Thailand and he belongs to the Erawan (Thailand) Chapter of the Special Forces Association. He also has family in Laos and Cambodia. In addition to Project Enlighten, Mark also works to support the Free Burma Rangers, who alleviate the suffering and empower ethnic peoples persecuted by the Myanmar government.
Mark’s vision is that his family’s work has enriched their lives, the lives of those they serve, and has created a legacy of successful chain reactions with far reaching positive effects beyond their time on earth.
Mark is married, has two daughters, two beautiful granddaughters and lives in Denver, Colorado.
Bill Morse
Bill Morse graduated from Kemper Military College in 1968 and Texas Christian University in 1970 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and majors in education, history and economics. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army, Military Police Corps and served on active duty in 1971 and was honorably discharged in 1985. For a number of years, Bill taught high school in Augusta, Georgia, before he left the teaching profession and entered business.
Bill Morse’s career has been primarily involved with the evolution and growth of small manufacturing companies. Each of his sales positions involved finding and establishing stocking distributors, as well as hiring and managing a group of manufacturer’s representatives and/or direct salespersons. His responsibilities included the development of new products; the integration of products from acquired companies, a comprehensive marketing program, the hiring and training of both a direct field sales force and a network of manufacturer’s reps to handle specific markets, as well as profit and loss responsibilities. In addition to this Bill Morse has held positions as president and CEO of several companies since and now works as a consultant.
In 2003 Bill was introduced, through a friend, to Aki Ra, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier taking on the daunting task of clearing all the landmines left in Cambodia. He traveled to Siem Reap to meet Aki Ra and on his return began the Landmine Relief Fund (www.landmine-relief-fund.com) to support the work of the Cambodian Landmine Museum and its Managing Director, Mr. Aki Ra. To date he has cleared in excess of 60,000 active landmines and IEDs while adopting 25 maimed, needy and orphaned children.
The Landmine Relief Fund charter is to support the work of the Cambodian Landmine Museum NGO. The LMRF became a 501c3 charity in 2004. All the funds received are forwarded to the Cambodian Landmine Museum. With the establishment of the ‘new’ museum in April of 2007 we have moved our work under the umbrella of the Museum Operations and now support the ongoing work of Cambodian Self Help Demining, the Cambodia Landmine Museum and other projects sponsored by Aki Ra.