About us
Lifeline Aid International is a registered Canadian charity bringing timely, practical support to people facing hardship.
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Who we are
There when the need is urgent. Focused on what comes next.
When a crisis hits, families need help immediately: food, clean water, shelter and medical care. We respond quickly, with practical aid that reaches people when it matters most.
But a lifeline is not the destination. It is the connection between an urgent need and the chance to move forward. That is why we also support what comes next: health, education, clean water, skills and livelihoods, so people can recover and rebuild their lives.
We are based in Ottawa and work in Canada and around the world, guided by the people and partners closest to each community and accountable for every gift we receive. Today, our emergency appeals focus on Gaza, Sudan and Yemen.
Our vision and mission
Our vision
A future where hardship does not determine the limits of a person’s life.
Our mission
Lifeline Aid International brings timely, practical support to people facing hardship, while helping create the conditions they need to move forward. We respond to urgent needs, restore access to essential services, and strengthen opportunities for recovery through accountable, locally informed action in Canada and around the world.
What we stand for
Dignity
We treat everyone we serve as a partner, not a case, and we ask before we share anyone’s story.
Accountability
We report openly on where donations go and what they achieve.
Local partnership
We work through people who know their communities, so help arrives where it is needed.
What we do
Our charitable purposes are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. They set out everything we can fund.
Relieving poverty
Food, clothing, shelter and other necessities for individuals and families living in poverty.
Emergency relief
Food, water, shelter materials and medical aid for people affected by conflict, disaster or displacement.
Clean water and sanitation
Safe water, sanitation and hygiene for communities that lack them.
Health
Medical supplies, health care products and psychosocial support for people whose health is at risk.
Education
Books, school supplies, scholarships, and literacy and skills training for people in need.
Women and orphans
Counselling, protection and life-skills support for single women, widows, single mothers and orphans in need.
Newcomers in Canada
Language, employment and settlement support for refugees and immigrants in need in Canada.
Our first projects
Our international work began in September 2026 with two projects, each delivered by an approved partner under our direction.
Food for families in Gaza
An in-kind food distribution for families affected by the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Clean water in Kassala, Sudan
Clean drinking water for displaced families in Kassala who lack safe water.
Yemen: we are raising funds for families in Yemen, where years of conflict have left many without enough food, safe water or medical care. A project there begins only after a full review and approval, and we will report here when it does. Give to the Yemen appeal
When each project closes, we will publish what it delivered.
How we work
We stay in charge
Partners deliver on the ground, but we approve every project, its budget and who it helps, and we can pause or stop it at any time.
Help goes to those most in need
People are chosen by need, never by who they know, with priority for young children, older people, widows, single mothers, orphans and people with disabilities.
Every dollar is checked
Money is released in stages against reports, partners are screened against Canadian and UN sanctions lists, and our books and records are kept in Canada.
Humanitarian, never political
Our help is civilian and non-partisan. None of it may support armed groups, military activity or political parties.
Who runs Lifeline
A board of directors oversees our work, and an external accounting firm keeps our books.
Mohamed Bendame
Chair of the Board
PhD in Systems Design Engineering · Imam and university chaplain
Mohamed Bendame holds a PhD in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University and a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Middlesex University, London.
Dr. Bendame worked as a software applications engineer in mathematical modelling and simulation for Adept Scientific in the UK, MathSoft in the USA and Maplesoft in Canada, and today serves as Imam at the Kitchener Masjid and as Muslim chaplain at the University of Waterloo.
Mohamad Sleiman
Director
P.Eng. · Founder of Smart Engineering Company
Mohamad Sleiman is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada and the founder of Smart Engineering Company, based in Ontario.
A specialist in the design and programming of electrical control systems, including industrial robots, PLC and SCADA systems, Mohamad Sleiman has worked with manufacturers in the food and beverage, automotive and building materials industries.
Registered Canadian charity
Charity No. 745268425RR0001, registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
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