Bridging cultures through storytelling

What started as a mother helping her daughter feel more connected at school has grown into a project that is strengthening cultural understanding and inclusivity across Strathcona County.

After submitting a creative application to Strathcona County’s 2025 Community Change Grants, Busayo Disu printed and distributed 32 copies of Our Story, Our Voice and 32 copies of an accompanying teaching aid, which she authored to foster cultural empathy.

“The book’s 12 short stories highlight the cultural identity, belonging and the emotional challenges of African immigrants in Canada,” says Busayo. Grant funding for the book and teacher's aid supported her broader Empathy Through Pages project, aimed at fostering cultural empathy in schools through storytelling.

The impetus for this project began when Busayo noticed her daughter feeling isolated and struggling to integrate into school in Canada. Seeing a gap in cultural understanding, she set out to bridge Canadian and African cultures through education.

Busayo’s work started in September 2024 during Alberta Culture Days where she delivered presentations in a few schools in Sherwood Park about African culture and the realities of living as an African immigrant child in Canada. It was there that her real work took shape. “After speaking at some of their schools, I was invited by Elk Island Catholic Schools to speak to students, teachers and staff in all their 18 schools,” says Busayo.

As Busayo visited classrooms, spoke with teachers and met with reading groups, she noticed that there were no Canada-specific materials about the experiences of African immigrant children. Fueling her determination, Busayo shared, “I saw the need to tell our story, and the stories of Africans who have immigrated to Canada, so I decided to write my own book of short stories.”

By August 2025, Our Story, Our Voice was published. Busayo brought it with her to school visits and shared the book and its companion resource across the community. Her project expanded to include introducing the books to community organizations such as Next Gen, local church groups, the Strathcona County Library and BGC Strathcona County. Several schools under Elk Island Public Schools and Elk Island Catholic Schools have also added the book to their collection of cultural learning materials.

Her work soon reached beyond Strathcona County when she was invited to schools in Leduc, Vegreville, Camrose, Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton to speak about cultural empathy. “I initially just wanted to promote cultural empathy in schools, but it grew into a project that promotes inclusivity for all cultures across our community and beyond,” Busayo shared.

Reflecting on the grant process, Busayo said, “If you have an idea that could benefit your community, I encourage you to apply. Just go for it. It’s surprising what you can do.”

Through school visits, book readings and community presentations, Busayo is fostering conversations about cultural understanding and connection, and building welcoming environments where every culture is respected and every child belongs.

Fostering safe, supported and connected communities is at the heart of Strathcona County’s Community Grants program, and Busayo’s project shows the impact community members can have. Applications for 2026 grants are open until April 30, 2026. Learn more at strathcona.ca/CommunityGrants or call 780-464-4044.