“An experience that really left an impression on me: there was a before and an after to it”, says Loup Keravel, EDHEC student, about his Global Impact Project
Taking part in the reconstruction of a school in the Philippines, organising and supervising distributions of food in Hawaii, clearing a natural site destroyed by a fire…, these were all missions carried out by double-degree student Loup Keravel –fourth year of the EDHEC International BBA and bachelor in law at the Sorbonne – as part of his Global Impact Project (GIP). This international experience focusing on social solidarity projects enabled him to engage as a volunteer for four months with All Hands & Hearts, a GIP partner association.
What missions did you carry out for your Global Impact Project ?
I spent one month in the Philippines and three months in Hawaii with the All Hands & Hearts association. In the Philippines, we helped rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the Man-yi typhoon in 2024. In Hawaii, the mission was different and involved distributing food and clothing, as well as cleaning up sites hit by the fires in August 2023. The local people couldn’t start rebuilding their houses until the areas affected had been cleared.
Why did you choose this association?
My father has worked in the building industry for 30 years and thanks to him, I learnt the basics of masonry, like putting up walls or plastering. For a long time, I’d wanted to put these manual skills to work on a humanitarian project. Thanks to EDHEC, I discovered All Hands & Hearts, an association geared to rebuilding houses, schools and other infrastructure destroyed by natural catastrophes: so all I had to do was take the plunge!
What did your days involve?
In the Philippines, we had a particularly demanding timetable: wake-up at 5.30, on site from 7.00 to 12.00 noon, and then from 1.00 to 4.00 in the afternoon, from Monday to Saturday. In Hawaii, the alarm also went off early, but the days were shorter and the tasks less physical. The rest of the time, I did a lot of sport and took part in group activities, as I’d come with six other EDHEC students. In the evenings, we spent time with the other volunteers in the camp, we read and we took the time to write: one of my co-volunteers kept a diary, while I wrote a letter to “myself” in five years’ time, so as not to forget what I learnt from volunteering.
What did you gain from this experience?
It really left an impression on me: there was a “before” and an “after” to it. It made me aware of the luck I had. Over there, certain people had seen their house disappear, but they kept on smiling and showed generosity towards their community. In Hawaii, a Hawaiian who’d lost everything joined us as a volunteer. Each morning she brought us some home-made doughnuts before she left for her job in mid-afternoon. Her resilience and generosity had a big effect on me.
How are you continuing your engagement today?
I’m currently preparing to take part in the Change the World Academy in New York in March 2026. This annual conference is one of the United Nations’ biggest simulation programmes. Every year, it brings together some 5,000 students who assume the roles of ambassadors, ministers or heads of state, for the purposes of debating major planetary issues. It’s a unique opportunity to continue my engagements, particularly concerning the fight against inequality and poverty.
