15 years of LIFE's commitment, as told by its President, Tarek El Kahodi

1) What did you do before founding LIFE, and how did those experiences shape your humanitarian commitment?

I trained as an information technology (IT) engineer and worked as a project manager and project director at several CAC 40 companies, such as Orange and SFR, as well as at institutions like the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice. I even worked at a nuclear power station. For around ten years I held senior positions, where I sharpened my skills and built a strong professional network. From the moment I started out in 2000, my career took off quickly. In 2007 I had the opportunity to take part in the launch of the iPhone at Orange, a major project that gave real meaning to my work.

Everything was going well for me, but in 2008 I felt the need to give my life a new sense of purpose. I had enjoyed professional success and earned a very good living, but it was no longer enough. Life isn't just about working, earning a good salary, going on holiday and coming back. Perhaps it had to do with my personal story: as a child, I overcame a visual impairment through determination and resilience, and became an engineer as a personal challenge. So once I had reached that comfortable life, I felt the need to give back what I had received, to thank life and the universe for what I had been given. Reaching the top of Maslow's pyramid, self-fulfilment, pushed me to go further and made me want to help others. At first, the more I earned, the more I gave to charities. But in 2008, as that inner flame grew stronger, I met Steve, the founder of LIFE, which was then a small charity in Saint-Denis. I started out with a small volunteering commitment, driven by the wish to do more.

Today, 15 years later, LIFE has grown a great deal, and I am proud to have played a part in it from the very beginning. My career and my wish to give thanks to life have always kept that flame burning inside me.

2) What inspired you to found LIFE 15 years ago?

The idea of founding LIFE goes back to 2009, when my involvement in charity work deepened. I wanted to get involved in hands-on action because, although I already gave to several NGOs, I felt that what was on offer in France was limited, especially for young people. There wasn't really any quality of service or donor experience.

So LIFE was born out of a gap, something missing. When there is a void, something always comes along to fill it. Drawing on the experience of all the founders, who had all worked for large companies, we decided to set up the charity. We introduced dashboards, project management tools and marketing. We took inspiration from what was being done in the United States, particularly the communications of Apple and other brands. We wanted to create a donor experience inspired by the world of luxury: welcoming people into an office, offering a carefully crafted experience through our materials, and using social media from day one to communicate.

So with LIFE, we dug our first well in Africa, and others soon followed. It was the start of a great adventure.

3) Why did you choose the name "LIFE" for the organisation?

We consulted a marketing expert, who suggested the name LIFE. It was a real revelation. This timeless name has stood the test of time. Looking back, we can say we were visionary in choosing it, because LIFE strikes a deep chord in many people's hearts and continues to inspire us.

4) What were the main challenges you and the other founding members faced when launching LIFE?

The main challenge was finding ways to raise funds. How could we carry out all these projects? At first we paid out of our own pockets and had to convince donors to join us on this adventure. We soon managed to reach a group of high-income professional donors who believed in our project.

The second challenge was time. Between 2009 and 2014 we were a small team of volunteers: me, Steeve, Rabat, Sandy, Karima, Hakima, Ferus, Sarah, Ali, Sabrina, Keita, Leila, Naim, Pierre, Diana and others. They were the first to found LIFE and to take part in the birth of this NGO. We worked our day jobs, then got back to work in the evening to find funding and put it to use on the ground.

In 2014 we asked ourselves whether we should carry on. That was when we took on our first interns, as we were starting to manage more than 300,000 euros in donations, relying solely on our volunteers. Managing people was one of the major challenges in setting up these projects on the ground. Then, in 2015 and 2016, came our first fixed-term and permanent contracts. Our communications took shape, and LIFE found its audience. Today, in 2024, we have gone from a single donor to more than 200,000!

5) Which moment in LIFE's journey has stayed with you most?

Of all the memorable moments, the early years remain etched in our memories. We were so determined that nothing could stop us. In the evenings we held remote meetings, and every fortnight we met up in Saint-Denis on a Saturday or Sunday. We were carried by boundless energy, and LIFE truly transformed our lives. We found meaning in our commitment.

When we saw the first wells opened, received the first photos and videos, and heard the grateful words of local people, it gave all of us moments of intense emotion. Then LIFE began to attract press attention and passed the milestone of its first million euros.

Our slogan, "meant to disappear", reflects our deepest hope: that one day, in the 25 countries where we work, we will no longer be needed.

6) What core values guide LIFE's work?

Solidarity, sharing, commitment, dignity, innovation: these powerful values have been the pillars guiding LIFE from the very beginning. Over the past 15 years, they have not only shaped our work but also inspired everyone who has joined our adventure. Solidarity has been at the heart of every project, reminding us that it is by acting together that we can truly make a difference. Sharing has allowed us to build bonds, learn from one another and build bridges between distant communities. Our commitment has meant an unshakeable determination to improve the living conditions of those who need it most. Dignity has always been our compass, reminding us that every person deserves to be treated with respect and humanity. Finally, innovation has been our driving force, constantly pushing us to find creative, lasting solutions to the challenges we faced.

These values have shaped LIFE's identity and remain the common thread of our mission. They fuel our hope for a fairer, more caring world.

7) What is the biggest challenge LIFE currently faces?

One of the major challenges LIFE currently faces is making its growth sustainable. Having gone from 0 to nearly 10 million euros raised, we now need to keep expanding, both in terms of people and projects. Our priority is to keep developing this model of close cooperation with our partners on the ground, so that this voice carries far beyond LIFE.

LIFE's model is unique in the sector: we are an NGO 3.0. With no physical premises, we have opted for remote working and digital tools, which allows us to make significant savings every year. This agile, modern approach has helped us meet many challenges, but the task now is to promote this model and inspire a new way of doing humanitarian work. Traditional NGOs sometimes struggle to understand this innovative approach. It is crucial to raise awareness of it, champion it and encourage existing organisations to embrace it.

Another challenge is to strengthen our work with local partners, nurturing a North-South, South-North relationship that is both positive and mutually beneficial. We are not traditional humanitarians; we rely on genuine partners on the ground, which sets us apart and gives us a solid base for action.

With this in mind, another goal is to secure our first institutional funding. We have already obtained funding from companies, but access to institutional funds is the next key step for LIFE's future.

8) How do you see LIFE's role in today's humanitarian landscape?

We have a great deal to offer thanks to our experience and our unconventional model. It is essential to show that this model exists and that it works. Turning 15, LIFE has proved it is here to stay. Time has shown we were right not to follow the traditional pattern of international humanitarian work, choosing instead to do things differently, with an agile approach. This is one of the major challenges we want to take on: offering a new model for fundraising, transparency, cooperation on the ground and digital working.

Our model, suited to its time, is an essential feature of LIFE. It is a way of working we must champion and promote. We are proof that an NGO can be innovative, effective and in step with today's challenges.

9) How do you see LIFE developing in the years ahead?

LIFE is on its way to becoming a major humanitarian player thanks to its innovative model. We stand apart from the traditional model, which draws interest and gives us a different perspective from many NGOs. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) now requires NGOs applying for funding to be able to rely on local actors on the ground. That is exactly what we have been doing from the start! When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, LIFE was already agile and ready to meet these new challenges.

Our social-media-led approach to communication and our ability to raise 10 million euros a year in private funds are attracting interest and inspiring others. More and more, people come to us wanting to understand how we managed to mobilise 200,000 donors through our online presence and communications. Our shows such as "LIFE Talk" set the tone, offering informative, impactful and inspiring content.

LIFE is an NGO that matters and will continue to matter, thanks to what makes it different and to its model. We want to inspire young people to look beyond stereotypes and social divides. Founded by people from diverse backgrounds, LIFE has a crucial role to play in sharing, dialogue and upholding international law, as during the conflict in Gaza. We stand up for fundamental principles: access to education, the inalienable right to water, food security and protection of the environment.

Working in 25 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and soon South America, LIFE will keep working wherever our action can be most effective. We proudly uphold the values of fraternity and solidarity that reflect 15 years of commitment around the world.

10) What message would you like to share?

A huge thank you to everyone who, in ways big and small, helped to create LIFE. Today, LIFE celebrates 15 years of commitment across 25 countries around the world. Thank you to the founding fathers of this NGO, who took on a challenge everyone said was impossible. As the saying goes: "It was impossible, so they did it."

Looking back on LIFE's journey, we have overcome challenges and obstacles, but we have also lived through wonderful stories, won great victories and shared smiles with the communities on the ground. Those moments have been magnificent.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every donor – our "Lifechangers", as we call them at LIFE – and above all to those who believed in us from the very start, when the project was little more than an idea. Your support has been the key to keeping our work going. Today it carries on thanks to 40 members of the LIFE team, committed to driving these projects forward and bringing help to people in every corner of the world.

We think of the children who, thanks to the wells we have built, no longer have to walk miles to find water and can now go to school, and of their mothers, who can now devote their time to earning an income. We think of everyone to whom we have been able to bring a little comfort and a ray of sunshine, whether in natural disasters, earthquakes and wars or in refugee camps.

We remember the children for whom we set up school canteens, and the communities alongside whom we have planted trees to protect the environment while creating ecosystems and sources of income. To all the orphans we have been able to reach out to, and to the children in Gaza whom we stand beside: you have been LIFE's reason for being.

A huge thank you to everyone who founded LIFE and helped us along the way, to our volunteers, and to all those who have passed through LIFE and left a lasting mark, making it possible for us to still be here today, 15 years on. We are grateful to life for allowing us to take part in this wonderful project and to offer our help in a different way.

We are proud, and I am proud, of how far LIFE has come. The best is yet to come. One day we hope to fulfil a dream: no longer to be needed, and to see a world where LIFE can disappear because every need has been met. But we are not there yet. The challenges keep growing, with climate change, displaced populations and many other crises. Yet that hope remains, and as long as there is work to be done, LIFE will keep standing, driven by the values of fraternity and solidarity that have inspired us for 15 years.