Seventeen students, including 14 Indigenous youth, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a helping hand from Hotıì ts’eeda.
Tommy Blake is one of the bursary recipients. Originally from Fort McPherson, he is studying Indigenous Social Work and has been living in Red Deer throughout the pandemic.
He says being away from home “has been a struggle mentally and physically”.
In a news release, he said he was very thankful for the bursary after he couldn’t find work in his field of study.
Hotıì ts’eeda announced the Ełets’àts’eedıı bursary (“support each other” in the Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì) bursaries in July and set aside $100,000. Single students were eligible for up to $5,000, while those with dependents could get up to $7,000.
“We wanted to help reduce some of that financial stress so these students can continue to focus on their studies and their future,” said John B. Zoe, Hotıì ts’eeda chairperson, in the release.
Seven of the recipients are from Yellowknife, five from the Tłı̨chǫ region, three from Inuvik, one from Fort McPherson and one from Hay River.
