My dad was a photographer, I gained curiosity by observing him and playing with his camera when I was 8. He passes away when I was 10 years, and left this fire of photography burning inside me. I inherited his camera, then at the age of 21, I went to work at World renew a non-profit organization in Laos, and met Ari Vitikainen a Finish photographer working as a Program Advisor for World Renew. We travelled together and I started to learn about photography from him.

As my job included traveling to visit remote communities in northern Laos, I saw various ethnic people and their livelihoods, mountains and nature. I believe that it is good to remember our journey to observe change in the future. Visualizing and imagining are keys to making great photos and these memories and photographs will always be a part of me.

I am a community development worker, Phakhinda Khanthavilay, and I was born in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. One of my responsibilities with World Renew is as a photographer- many of my photos from communities are used for reporting to donors, creating transformation stories and documenting community change. What’s more, I was a photographer consultant for Save the Children International and summer camp photographer for Pestalozzi Children Foundation (PCF), Switzerland, and these experiences further opened my eyes and imagination.