Empower to Heal: Building Mental Health First Aid Capacity in Calgary’s Black Francophone Community

Help Us Train Mental Health First Responders From Within Our Community

At Bright Lights For Africa Foundation (BLFA), we empower Black Francophone families in Calgary to not only survive — but thrive. Many face deep challenges: language barriers, cultural isolation, and trauma that often goes untreated.

Mental health remains a taboo subject in our communities — yet the need for support is urgent.

Through the Empower to Heal initiative, we are raising $5,850 to certify thirteen (13) bilingual (French-English) Black Francophone women in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) through the Mental Health Commission of Canada — one from each of the 13 African Francophone communities represented in Calgary.

These women will become trusted mental health responders — not only supporting our programs, but leading healing conversations within their own communities, where cultural understanding and language make all the difference.

Why This Matters

This campaign will:

Break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health

Equip leaders with culturally relevant, trauma-informed tools

Build safe spaces where women and families can seek help and find hope

Expand access to mental wellness support in French

What Your Support Will Do

With just $5,850, we can:

Cover the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course fees for 13 bilingual women ($3,250)

Provide encouragement stipends to support their participation and engagement ($2,600)

Strengthen mental health literacy and culturally relevant support across Calgary’s Black Francophone communities

Each trained woman will:

Recognize signs of distress

Offer trauma-informed, culturally aware support

Connect individuals to the help they need — in both French and English

Mental Health Can’t Wait — and Neither Can We

This is more than a course — it’s a step toward healing, resilience, and dignity for Calgary’s Black Francophone communities.

Make a meaningful impact today — your donation supports community-led healing, and a charitable donation receipt is available upon request.Charitable Registration Number: 71650 4535 RR0001