Lesly Cousin: Discovering the Mutual Impact between Donors and Beneficiaries

Hi everyone, Spiffy here, your one and only interplanetary journalist reporting from Planet Earth. I’m thrilled to be talking to Lesly Cousin, the co-founder of Dooble Impact, who is working to make the world a better place. Are you ready to be enlightened?

Spiffy: Welcome Lesly, so tell me, what challenges are you addressing? 

Lesly: Bonjour, Spiffy! Have you noticed that there are millions of non-profit organizations doing a great job contributing to a more sustainable and positive future? But they need more visibility to get the resources they need to have more of an impact. At the same time, there are billions of people looking for more sense in their lives; especially in a world where things don’t always turn out well. Some people would like to have a greater impact but don’t know how to do that. It's time to solve this problem. More than ever, we must all work together — together for real stories of change.

Spiffy: So you want to help organizations increase their impact on the communities they work with? What motivated you to address this issue?

Lesly: What motivated me has been the desire to be an agent of positive change, and have a real sustainable impact on the planet and the community. I want to give more sense and beauty to our lives — more life, to life, and deeper connection. In an increasingly digital society, it is urgent to use modern tools with intelligence, with heart, and to allow a real reconnection with oneself and between humans and nature. The goal is to live in harmony with nature and with respect for mother earth. All while ensuring its balance, which we desperately depend on. Everything is connected.

Spiffy: And how is your work with Dooble Impact helping to create a more equitable world? 

Lesly: Dooble Impact, which is under development, is an international solidarity and ethical communication platform aimed at increasing the impact of stakeholders in sustainable development. We do this in connection with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, through storytelling and networking to facilitate donation (money, time, talent) and responsible production and consumption. We all have favorite heroes from books, films. Dooble Impact showcases the real stories and allows you to contribute to and be part of the community of heroes acting for a better future.

The idea for Dooble Impact came when Lesly Cousin met this Himalayan family. She believes that donors and beneficiaries exist in a circle, with donors impacting beneficiaries, and beneficiaries having an impact on donors. (Image courtesy of Lesly Cousin)

Spiffy: This is exciting! What kind of recent milestones have you achieved?

Lesly: Well, Spiffy, I recently took part in a pitch event for Africa-Europe’s Action Accelerator. I won third place for impactful, sustainable, and scalable projects. This recognition was very encouraging, especially at the start of the Dooble Impact adventure. It has also allowed me to meet you, Spiffy! And it’s allowing me to share my dream and my work with you and your community of young people, and to encourage us to build a new story together. We are all "imp’actors"(important actors).

Spiffy: I’m wondering if you have ever experienced failure? How did you overcome it?

Lesly: I was living in Sydney, and was very engaged with the environmentally-concerned community. I started my project, while also teaching French. I loved my life there! I traveled back home in mid-January 2020, and I got stuck in France because of the Covid lockdown. Then I lost some precious human supports. But I decided to stay focused on my dream and continue to work hard, even though I sometimes feel alone and discouraged. I have learned that it’s ok to feel anger and sadness. We have to accept it as part of the game, like clouds in the sky. Some things depend on us and others don’t. Let’s stay confident and never give up on our dreams!

Spiffy: Optimism is an incredible skill, Lesly! I’m curious if you’ve learned any other important lessons lately?

Lesly: As I work with groups of high school students to educate them about the social and solidarity economy, I see all kinds of personalities, talents, and commitments at play. But from my place, what I observe confirms what I have often felt: “Better to do some imperfect actions than perfect inactions.”

Spiffy: Indeed! Is there anything else you would love to tell our audience? 

Lesly: Even if you are young, you’ve got precious talents to preserve. Be sure not to lose sight of your dreams while you grow up! Always listen to your heart, and always listen to your dreams.

Spiffy: I think we will all take that advice to heart! Thank you for sharing your work with us, Lesly! It’s been an honor.