Mental Health: Sané Launches Community Projects in Nantes
Célia and Albéric have known each other for over twenty years. After spending about ten years in the humanitarian sector, Célia wanted to apply her experience in development cooperation and managing complex situations to an entrepreneurial venture. During her various field assignments, she observed firsthand how much the mental health of teams could influence the success of projects.
Albéric, for his part, lived in Quebec for more than twelve years, where he co-founded La puce à l’oreille, a podcast production studio for children. This experience led him to develop projects with numerous partners and to take an interest, himself, in mental health issues.
Breaking Down Barriers Between Practices
From their discussions, Sané was born—an organization that defines itself as a project engineering firm focused primarily on mental health. Established as a nonprofit organization in December 2025, it provides services ranging from diagnosis to assessment and handles partner and funding searches, coordination, workshop facilitation, and networking. “Our role is not to replace professionals, but to connect experts and facilitate collaboration,” explains Albéric. “We strongly believe in the convergence of practices and in the value of exploring avenues off the beaten path,” adds Célia. Sané’s approach thus fosters dialogue among cultural, digital, educational, and medical-social ecosystems.
Involve the people concerned
Their perspective on global health is accompanied by a broad openness to practices in other parts of the world and an ability to identify initiatives within the same region to foster new collaborations. “Our approach is based on two pillars: developing projects with the people involved and evaluating their effectiveness.” Célia and Albéric have thus conducted field surveys among healthcare providers, those affected, peer supporters, family members, and organizations to assess their needs and identify the challenges they face. “The enthusiasm generated by our approach led us to quickly launch projects.”
In Nantes, an ecosystem conducive to collaboration
Célia moved to Nantes in 2022, drawn to the city’s lifestyle. After returning from Quebec, Albéric settled in Nantes following a stopover in Brittany, attracted in particular by the ties between Nantes and Montreal. Both identify with the city’s “political, cultural, and educational heritage,” which aligns with their values. They appreciate the local energy and the responsiveness of the people they met. “I received a response two days after contacting Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement, followed by a very concrete discussion about my needs,” says Albéric. “Our contact, Julie, connected us with key stakeholders for our project and regularly checks in on our progress. “I’ve never experienced this level of follow-up from an institutional partner!”
Projects to Be Rolled Out Soon
Sané has benefited from the Créative Sélection acceleration program offered by Samoa. To date, Sané has responded to nearly a dozen calls for proposals and is developing four projects, which are at various stages of progress or awaiting funding. Among them is the creation of a serious game—designed in collaboration with the Nantes-based studio Chrysalude—dedicated to recovery following a course of treatment for CARE, the Outpatient Recovery Center at Nantes University Hospital (affiliated with Dr. Rachel Bocher’s psychiatry department and coordinated by Dr. Pauline Gayet).
“In the right place at the right time”
Sané also responded to a call for projects with BRIO, a social inclusion and equal opportunity program led by four prestigious universities in Nantes for high school students in the metropolitan area. The goal is to address mental health “by young people and with young people,” particularly through roundtable discussions that encourage self-expression and the development of public speaking skills. For several months now, Albéric has also been leading a radio workshop at Solipsy, a Nantes-based organization dedicated to preventing isolation, psychological distress, and suicide risk. “The trust these partners have placed in us reinforces our belief that we are in the right place at the right time.”
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