PORTRAIT 8
Quentin Durand
Cultivating the intention to serve the common good
After joining Karuna-Shechen in 2014 for a short three-day volunteer assignment devoted to photography in India, Quentin's desire to be of service to others quickly intensified and he extended his commitment in the field for eight months. Five years ago, he took on the responsibility of Executive Director of the NGO.
To better understand his vision of Karuna-Shechen's future, our intervention strategies in the field and the way our teams operate, Anouk, an editorial trainee in the communications department, spoke to him.
Hello Quentin! Could you introduce yourself and share a bit of your story?
Quentin: My name is Quentin, I'm 34, and I live between Paris and Normandy with my partner Héloïse and our dog, Ortie. I've been part of Karuna-Shechen since 2014 and have been its Executive Director since 2020. Before that, I worked in the strategy consulting sector in Paris and New York, for large private groups.
Could you share a moment that awakened your desire to work in the field of development aid?
Quentin : I grew up in a very privileged environment. It was during my studies that my humanitarian calling emerged, when I volunteered for Secours Catholique in Paris. I was in my twenties and, for the first time, I was in contact with people living in extreme social exclusion. That experience planted a seed that has never left me. I knew then that I wanted my work to help relieve the suffering of others. I pursued that path further in South Africa, in a region heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, where I worked in a village for orphans. After that experience, I knew for sure that this was the path I wanted to follow.
In 2014, I crossed paths with Karuna after reading the writings of Matthieu Ricard. Personally inspired by Buddhist teachings, I wanted to meet Matthieu. I was in India at the time and offered my help to Karuna. I was supposed to stay only three days, but I ended up staying eight months, first in India, then in Nepal.
You’ve now been with Karuna for ten years. Is there a project or experience that particularly marked you?
Quentin : Yes. It was in 2022, in southern Nepal, in the Kapilvastu region. Our teams had identified needs in several villages, and we went there. We arrived in places facing a level of poverty we hadn’t encountered before. There were no toilets, water irrigation systems were non-functional, stagnant water was everywhere, and the heat was intense.
I remember a young grandmother, only thirty years old, who had never been to school, not even the first classes. I had imagined that only the elderly had been deprived of education. When we spoke with local authorities and a group of villagers eager to make change, I knew we were in the right place.
After our intervention, three years later, the village had transformed: toilets were built, clean water was flowing again, and early childhood centers had been established. We also launched economic development programs. Today, some household in that village cultivates over 200 kg of turmeric per harvest, generating a substantial income.
Thanks to our programs, local authorities were also able to shift their priorities: rather than immediately building new infrastructure or opening schools, the emphasis turned to training teachers and empowering parents.
What touched me most were the successes of the “Better Future Councils”, the farmers’ groups, and women’s associations. By bringing people together who share common challenges and aspirations, we helped co-create solutions and strengthened their autonomy.
After five years as the CEO of Karuna-Shechen, what continues to motivate you each day?
Quentin: Every day, I witness the dedication, creativity and solidarity of our teams in India, Nepal and France. It's an immense source of inspiration and confidence in our collective ability to grow Karuna's impact. And beyond that, it's the Buddhist inspiration and the fact that Karuna can be a skillful means, a place where we are invited to cultivate our human qualities, with humility and without judgment. It motivates me to make this wish a reality for employees and volunteers. That's what inspires and motivates me.
In 2018, Karuna-Shechen began structuring its actions more professionally. Would you say that was one of the organization’s biggest turning points?
Quentin: I’m not very fond of the term “professionalization”, which can suggest that we were a disorganized team. For me, 2018 rather marks the beginning of a phase of impact optimization: we developed projects in various contexts and refined our vision. This period has enabled us to install the structures necessary for the organization's full deployment.
Another major development since 2018 has been the increasing and continuous participation of communities in the projects. They are not mere beneficiaries but active participants, involved at every step of the process.
Where do you see the organization in five years?
Quentin : In five years, I see Karuna-Shechen further deepening its holistic approach, making it ever denser, systematizing our presence, clarifying our exit strategies and thus providing support across an entire territory. In India as in Nepal, this holistic approach and the fact of responding to the needs expressed by communities are rare principles of action: most NGOs specialize in one or two themes, or limit themselves to one or two priorities, such as education and health. When we intervene in a village, we may not be experts in a specific field, but we are at least certain to respond comprehensively to the communities' primary needs.
How does Karuna-Shechen embody altruism in its daily operations?
Quentin : I think that’s one of the greatest challenges for our organization. In my view, an organization’s values must be embodied in its processes, everyday moments and informal rituals. At the individual level, we provide tools for emotional intelligence: mindfulness training, coaching workshops for the team, daily meditation time, and centering exercises before meetings. These help us better recognize our emotions and welcome those of others with kindness.
Collective intelligence also teaches us how to connect and collaborate. We’re laying the foundation for empowering individuals within Karuna-Shechen, breaking away from traditional hierarchical structures.
Then there’s the systemic dimension, understanding that the vision of a more altruistic world transcends us. This is reflected in our "evolving purpose": every team member can propose and initiate a project without a burdensome decision-making process, creating an environment conducive to altruistic innovation and creativity.
everyday moments and informal rituals.
At Karuna-Shechen, we follow a “teal” governance model, rooted in authenticity, transparency, and collective evolution. As CEO, how do you see your role within this framework?
Quentin: My role is twofold: first, to help a collective vision emerge; and second, to serve as support. I see myself first and foremost as a facilitator, there to listen, connect and support teams in what they do best: together, we define the direction to follow. I don't have exclusive initiative, even though I actively participate in discussions, but my voice carries as much weight as anyone else's. As for my support role, I'm there as soon as a challenge or problem arises, to help everyone and build bridges between teams to facilitate collaboration.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the main challenges for the organization this year?
Quentin: One of this year’s challenges is to integrate more highly specialized partners into our interventions. Like we did with Dr. Ruit for cataract surgeries. This would amplify the impact of our programs, because we can’t be experts in everything, nor can we train ourselves in all domains.
Along with the release of the annual report, a financial summary is also published. Why is this transparency important to Karuna?
Quentin: First and foremost, it’s a very useful exercise for us internally, it’s a moment of reflection. We look back at what we’ve accomplished, revisit challenges and difficulties. It’s a time to evaluate and take stock, and to commit to providing an honest and transparent representation of how we manage our resources.
Externally, it’s a way to express our gratitude for the support we receive year after year. It’s also a moment of wonder, acknowledging the entire chain of interdependence from our donors to the programs we implement.