Meet Annette Jensen

We recently connected with Annette Jensen and have shared our conversation below.

Annette, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I think my purpose found me. I had been working in business in California for over 15 years when my husband Neil and I decided to pack up our lives and go traveling. After a while, Neil accepted a job in Cambodia that was supposed to be a one-year assignment. I needed something to do, and before I knew it and much to my surprise, I became the Executive Director of a children’s center in Phnom Penh. I had no experience in the nonprofit world and I had little experience with children, but the job changed my life. I have never worked as hard, made as little money and loved my work as much. When the one year was up, I was not at all ready to leave, so in the end Neil extended his work contract several times and we stayed in Cambodia for almost five years. At the time I was a U.S. Green Card holder, and we left Cambodia only when I could no longer stay outside the U.S. without risking my Green Card. Neil was ready to leave at that point, and loved saying that he got me to leave Cambodia and it was not his fault! My work in Cambodia made us consider starting an education project ourselves, and in 2015 Neil and I founded Education First Cambodia, a nonprofit that helps young women from poor rural families get a university education.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I grew up on a dairy farm in Denmark, and I knew fairly early that I didn’t want to stay in the local area forever. However, I didn’t imagine I’d be moving quite as far away as I ended up doing. After graduating university and working for a couple of years as a translator in Copenhagen, I got a chance to work in San Francisco for a year; that lead to meeting Neil, settling in the Bay Area in 1990, and now 32 years of marriage. In 2006 we started working overseas, and since then we have lived and worked in a number of countries. However, Cambodia has always stood out for me. Starting our own nonprofit, Education First Cambodia (EFC) in 2015 involved taking a risk, but we initially decided we would keep it small enough that we could support the project with our own funds. But we are very fortunate that many of our friends and others are supporting EFC and we can do so much more with their help. At this point we have 70 students who have graduated and 13 more are about to graduate. In addition, we have 37 current students. EFC selects smart young women from very poor rural families and supports their Bachelor’s degree at the top public universities in Phnom Penh; if they decide to study their Master’s in Cambodia, we also give some support for that. But it is not only financial support that EFC provides. We pay for English and computer classes, we provide leadership and news analysis classes, we give each student a new laptop computer, pay for vaccines and some medical costs, and we have a dormitory for current students and also a dorm for recent alumnae.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think my background in business has been very helpful for my work in the nonprofit world. It is not enough to have compassion and ideas how to help a group of people or cause. Some practical business skills are helpful. Also, I believe I am rather patient. Our nonprofit is in Cambodia, and some things may take much longer in a different country and culture. And dealing with people in a different culture also requires patience, as they don’t always see things the same way we do. The fact that Neil and I had lived in Cambodia almost five years prior to starting our nonprofit is immensely important. Our knowledge of the country and its culture and the big network of people we both had really made a difference. We still have a lot to learn about Cambodia, but we were far ahead because of our prior experience in the country.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My husband, Neil, has always been incredibly helpful. We started EFC together, but up until recently he had a full-time job and only helped out with EFC when time allowed. I had doubts before we started the project, but Neil convinced me that I knew how to run a good project and he has helped me a lot along the way. We have different skill sets and I think we are a good team. It is also incredibly helpful to have a partner who is not only interested in your work, but supportive. Neither of us takes a salary at EFC, but I am fortunate that Neil has had an income and doesn’t resent that I don’t make money.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.educationfirstcambodia.org
• Facebook: Education First Cambodia

Image Credits

Neil Weinstein