A project committed to promoting education as a factor of social change

Unfortunately, all boys and girls throughout the world are not given equal opportunities when it comes to education. This is something Maria, Amena and Zareen Ali, three sisters, became fully aware of following a visit to India. On their return to Canada, they immediately set about making their contribution to changing the situation by establishing an organization called the Abhilasha Project, the aim of which is to provide underprivileged children worldwide with an education worthy of the name. To do so, they organized a great number of fundraisers, created partnerships with various university organizations and set up three chapters of their organisation at McGill University, Marianopolis College and the University of Ottawa. Since 2006, they have donated more than $40,000 to the Abhilasha school in India. This summer, they took part in an expedition to India with a group of 16 students. Their goal was to raise $30,000, the amount needed to build a new annex for the school, which accommodates 141 children.

A student committed to improving the quality of life of deaf people

Cynthia Benoît has a passion for geography and is steadfastly devoted to a cause that has been close to her heart ever since she was little, that of improving the quality of life of deaf people like herself, and she will stop at nothing to ensure her projects are a success. Dynamic and determined, what truly sets Cynthia apart is the amazing diversity of her areas of action and her overflowing energy. President of the Société culturelle québécoise des sourds at the age of 22 and the organizer of the very first International Day of the Deaf held in Québec en 2007, the Master’s student in urban studies at INRS is currently in charge of the athlete development committee for the Canadian Deaf Sports Association as well as secretary of the Board of Directors of Deaf Youth Canada. It goes without saying that, although for some people deafness may be considered a handicap, for Cynthia it has become a source of pride!