Every leader talks about passion, purpose, and people but only a few abide by these to build their brainchild with the bricks of the 3Ps. One such eminent personality who has successfully devoted his career to eradicating human hardships and promoting sustainable development worldwide is Dr. Hany Saqr. With his never-ending passion, he has fulfilled his purpose and continues to help people globally to lead a better life.
Dr. Hany Saqr’s journey is an inspiring tale of turning challenges into breakthroughs and rising to the occasion. In his long-standing career, he has withstood many challenges and created opportunities to lead one of the most impactful humanitarian organizations in the world. His journey as the CEO and President of LIFE for Relief and Development was driven by a passion for helping people and a commitment to humanitarian efforts. In his life, he was profoundly affected by the suffering he saw in the world, and this moved him to want to alleviate this suffering.
Dive Deep into LIFE for Relief and Development
Founded in 1992, LIFE for Relief and Development is a humanitarian organization. It is dedicated to providing aid and relief to vulnerable populations worldwide. Founded on the principles of compassion, integrity, and equality, LIFE works to alleviate suffering and promote dignity among those affected by crises.
In the landscape of challenges, one of Dr. Saqr’s biggest challenges has been working through the complexities of providing aid in crisis zones. There are many hurdles during this kind of work. For example, navigating legal and political barriers has been one of the toughest obstacles in Dr. Saqr’s career. These obstacles often threaten to block the delivery of crucial aid to those in need. However, Dr. Saqr tackles these challenges with persistent advocacy, strategic diplomacy, and building strong local partnerships. His skill in showing the impartiality and necessity of LIFE’s aid has been key to earning the trust and cooperation of political players, community members, various partners, and donors.
Today, the organization provides help in a collection of activities, including emergency relief, medical care, education, clean water initiatives, and community development programs. In the last 32 years, LIFE has distributed just under $600 million in humanitarian aid worldwide. It has also earned a 95% rating on Charity Navigator, is recommended by USAID, and was voted one of the top humanitarian organizations in the U.S. by Impactful Ninja.
LIFE specializes in many humanitarian services, including orphan sponsorship, emergency relief, medical aid, clean water projects, education support, community development, family assistance, and refugee support. These services are designed to address the immediate needs of vulnerable populations and promote long-term sustainability and development.
Additionally, LIFE successfully conquered the initial challenges including navigating complex logistical hurdles, ensuring security for aid workers and beneficiaries, and building trust within the communities served. Overcoming these challenges required strategic planning, effective communication, and a strong network.
Since its foundation, LIFE has seen substantial growth in its operations and impact. For instance, the organization has built close to 300 water wells worldwide, sponsored over 13,000 orphans and distributed $16 million worth of medical supplies and much more, in 2023. A recent success was the opening of new offices in Yemen, Kenya, Malaysia, and Somalia. Factors contributing to this success included thorough market analysis, partnerships, and a strong commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations in these regions.
Embracing a Holistic and Action-Driven Leadership Philosophy
Dr. Saqr’s leadership is all about teamwork, transparency, and empowerment. He believes in clearly setting goals, actively listening to his team, and empowering everyone to achieve the desired goals and take ownership of their roles. This approach grows a collaborative and dedicated work environment, ensuring that LIFE’s objectives of compassion and integrity are reflected in every aspect of the organization.
Dr. Saqr’s hands-on involvement and commitment to open communication have been fundamental in aligning efforts toward LIFE’s ultimate goals. He treats his employees as partners in the organization helping and mentoring them to grow at every step of their journey. As a team player, Dr. Sarq values the efforts of his team members guiding them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities to their maximum potential.
Additionally, balancing innovation, stability, and profitability is crucial in Dr. Saqr’s approach to leadership. He emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and pilot testing new initiatives to assess their viability and impact. Dr. Hany Saqr is always open to and eagerly fetching new ideas to improve LIFE’s workflow and output. When a new idea is suggested, it is thoroughly researched and then trail-tested several times. Once positive outcomes have been demonstrated consistently, Dr. Saqr will employ the method further.
Giving Talent the Dias to Success
Identifying and developing talent within LIFE involves being able to spot talents and then nurture them. The nurturing of the talented staff at LIFE comes through a focus on continuous learning and professional growth. Dr. Saqr places a strong emphasis on mentorship as well, providing guidance and support to team members on a personal and professional forefront. This approach not only enhances individual capabilities but also strengthens the overall effectiveness of the organization.
Additionally, LIFE encourages all its employees to complete further education and certification and actively participate in conferences, and workshops to build up each individual’s ability. Dr. Saqr believes that the growth of a team member is equivalent to the growth of the entire team.
Dr. Saqr fondly adds, “The success of LIFE can be attributed to the people behind it. The constant passionate effort from our staff, partners, donors, and board members is what makes this train run. I believe that it is because these people truly care and enjoy their work that LIFE has seen such exponential growth in recent years. Through building a transparent and inclusive work culture, continuously innovating, and maintaining strong partnerships, LIFE has built a solid foundation for sustained growth and impact for years to come.“
Leveraging Advanced Technology to Reach New Miles
Technology has become a fundamental part of everyone’s lives. It stands as an inherent part of humanitarian work both in the running of the organization, the participation of the donors, and in the receiving of aid.
In recent years, LIFE embraced the new era of the paperless phenomenon and shifted its gears to online databases. It has successfully updated all the programming to be the most efficient and latest software increasing its effectiveness and ability to serve both donors and beneficiaries promptly.
LIFE also continues to use the latest software and distribution channels for emailing, SEO, running its website, press releases and much more to ensure that it is reaching more potential donors and updating its current donors online as well as streamlining the process of donation to make it as easy as possible.
In the field, advanced data analytics, satellite imagery, and AI are some of the technological tools that LIFE has and will be used to make informed decisions, deliver aid effectively, and reach remote or conflict-affected areas. These technologies have enabled LIFE to enhance emergency response and preparedness, allowing LIFE to predict needs more accurately and allocate resources efficiently. Understanding the need of the hour, LIFE is always staying a notch up with its technological advancements and changing lives every day.
To summon up, Dr. Saqr states, “Staying innovative and competitive involves embracing a culture of continuous improvement and maintaining a flexible approach to adapting to changing conditions. This requires a mix of advanced technology, community engagement, and continuous improvement.“
A Cognizant and Prompt Approach
Taking action and staying ahead of the curve is an important aspect of meeting the ongoing humanitarian needs of the global community. Dr Saqr is well aware of this and focuses on continuous assessment and feedback to identify areas for improvement and expansion. By staying attuned to the needs of the communities that LIFE serves, he ensures that the organization’s services evolve to meet emerging challenges.
When assessing the needs of communities that experience hardships, Dr. Saqr will ask those communities, specifically through their local offices and partners, what they need. This innovative way of working with local vendors and community members to source, produce, and deliver most of their aid not only speeds up the process but also boosts the local economy, creates jobs, and strengthens community ties. By involving the community every step of the way, Dr. Hany and LIFE ensure their aid has a lasting, positive impact. He will also use LIFE’s consultative status with the U.N. to inquire about what the U.N. has discerned and foresee to be the greatest need of the people in the area. In this way, Dr. Hany can always stay ahead of the needs of the populations that LIFE serves.
For example, in Gaza, there has been and continues to be a serious need for shelter. So, LIFE organized tents to be made in Turkey and shipped to the region, 1,000 have been delivered with another 2,000 on the way. Due to the insight from its workers on the ground and the data from the U.N., LIFE was able to procure and provide tents to those in need in Gaza quickly and effectively.
Additionally, LIFE’s significant growth trigger was the successful delivery of essential supplies and support during such emergencies. This has given LIFE credibility worldwide as LIFE’s work in Gaza was featured on many prominent media channels like AP News. LIFE’s proven capability and commitment have led to increased trust and support from donors and partners.
