I was 9 when the doctor told me I had bone cancer. I didn’t understand everything, but I understood one sentence: “You have a 50% chance to live.” My early years began with a question: If I survive, what will I do with it? My survival — that fragile miracle — became my compass. I realized early that life is not measured by its length but by its impact. My body healed, but my purpose had only begun.
At 14 I founded my first nongovernmental organization: Bee The Change — a small, direct-aid organization that supported children in African communities. We packed boxes, raised funds, and connected directly with kids who needed food, medicine, and education. That was my first taste of leadership with purpose. I discovered that real leadership doesn’t start when people follow you; it starts when you decide to move, even if you’re the only one walking.
Then came a phone call that broke me. A young boy in Africa, whom I had come to see as my godchild, died. The cause? Cholera — from contaminated water. I was devastated. We had helped him with school supplies and food, but not with the one thing he needed most: clean water. That moment tore through my soul. I realized charity wasn’t enough. If we wanted real change, we needed to fix — not just treat — the systems.
From that pain was born the Umuntu Movement — inspired by the African philosophy “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” meaning, “I am because we are.” Today the movement has provided clean, safe water to over 50,000 people, cultivated several hectares of regenerative farmland, planted 40,000 to 50,000 trees every year, and supported education centers and schools that empower new generations of changemakers.
Driven by this conviction, I earned my bachelor’s and master’s in engineering, followed by an honorary doctorate (PhD h.c.) recognizing my work in sustainable technology and water innovation. To me, science is not separate from empathy — it’s a tool to serve it.
That journey led to the creation of Evodrop, a Swiss-based multinational water innovation company to redefine what clean water means. We developed patented purification technologies that remove nearly all harmful contaminants while preserving the natural vitality of water. Evodrop has grown into a global impact company with over a dozen international awards. I’ve learned that business, at its best, is a form of service. When companies anchor themselves in purpose, profit becomes a natural outcome — not the destination. At Evodrop part of our revenues flow directly back into Umuntu’s social and environmental projects, creating a self-sustaining cycle of change.
We don’t see our success as isolated. Every drop of clean water we deliver, every tree we plant, every child we educate — it’s all part of a shared ecosystem of impact. I’ve realized leadership isn’t about building empires; it’s about building legacies that outlive you.
When I was 9, I had a 50% chance of survival. Today I wake up every day knowing that I have a 100% chance to make a difference. That’s what drives me — not fear, not ambition, but gratitude that I got to turn pain into purpose, and purpose into progress.
Defining moments don’t always come from victory; sometimes they’re born from your deepest wounds. When the odds are stacked against you, your true mission reveals itself — because survival is not the goal; significance is.
