The Élisabeth Bruyère School of Social Innovation is proud to announce Patrick Kaplo and Hamidou Tandina as the first winners of the Bruyère Bursary.
The jury selected the winners based on their presentation of well-developed, strategic projects designed to address a significant social issue.
Kaplo, a student in the Certificate in Social Innovation, and Tandina, a student in the B.A. in Social Innovation, were each awarded a bursary of $10,000 to launch their social innovation projects.
Both recipients drew inspiration from personal experiences to create projects that strive to remove barriers for marginalized individuals, enabling them to participate fully in their community.
Intégr’Action Canada
The bursary for a local project was awarded to Kaplo for his project, Intégr’Action Canada.
Driven by Kaplo’s own experience as a newcomer to Canada, Intégr’Action Canada aims to support French-speaking newcomers by providing practical training, professional development opportunities, and a supportive community.
“This bursary represents much more than just financial support. It is a real institutional showcase, offering visibility and strengthening the credibility and legitimacy of our start-up organization, Intégr’Action Canada,” shared Kaplo.
The project is currently focused on Ottawa and surrounding areas, but Kaplo aspires to make the program national.
“My vision for this project is to build an inclusive Canada where every French-speaking newcomer has access to tailored resources, rewarding professional experiences, and community support that enables sustainable, independent, and fulfilling integration,” explained Kaplo.
Djara-Alpha
The recipient of the bursary for an international project, Tandina aims to empower deaf women in Mali by improving access to public services.
The project is named Djara-Alpha in honour of his aunt, whose experiences as a deaf woman inspired Tandina.
“In Mali, many deaf women live in isolation, unable to make themselves understood at school, in hospitals, or in court,” explained Tandina. “Deaf women are therefore at the heart of the project to remove these barriers by training public service employees in Malian Sign Language.”
The ultimate goal of Djara-Alpha is to have interpreters available in all public services.
“For me, the Bruyère Bursary is a message of hope. It transforms a personal dream into real action. It helps us open doors that have always been closed to deaf women and reminds us that they exist and that they matter,” shared Tandina.
Exceptional Finalists
As part of the Bruyère Bursary selection process, a shortlist of five candidates was invited to present their projects before a jury.
Below is a brief overview of the finalists and their projects.
International Projects:
Gwendolyn Hallsmith — Growing Grassroots Economics in Siaya County, Kenya
Jean Pierre Mutabazi — Jardins scolaires connectés (Burundi)
Hamidou Tandina — Djara-Alpha
Local Projects:
Nadia Ikhedalene — Ah! La Bonne Crêpe
Patrick Kaplo — Intégr’Action Canada
