Carleton University graduate, Ravia Dhaliwal, applied to the Pathy Foundation Fellowship to work in Amiskwaciy Wâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) to promote socialization, education, and culturally sensitive addiction support with senior Punjabi women. “Connection and socialization have increased my own quality of life,” Ravia explains. “Connecting with seniors who are structurally isolated made me reflect on how beneficial building connection and socialization could be for the overall wellbeing and unity of senior women as a community.”  

 

The Pathy Foundation Fellowship supports graduating university students across Canada to design and implement an innovative project in a community they have a meaningful, pre-existing connection with. “I was first interested in the Fellowship because it was a unique opportunity for leadership, but when I learned more about the program, its emphasis on Fellows’ having a meaningful connection to the community they work with and on community-led approaches, felt really aligned to my values,” Ravia explains. 

 

Ravia is working with her community partner organization, Sahelian, to strengthen, expand, and sustain their existing social and educational programming with senior women in Edmonton. “Many of the broader issues that senior women in our community face, can be addressed in part by increasing opportunities for socialization which can reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve self-esteem, mood, and cognitive function,” Ravia explains. “This year, I’ve been able to develop a place for holistic care with the community while also working with the community to find the best ways to learn about and discuss addiction,” Ravia explains. 

 

“A lot of senior populations in minority communities have migrated to Canada for family unification; they may have moved to be closer to their children and often to take care of grandchildren,” Ravia shares. “In the context of senior Punjabi women living in Canada, the feeling of isolation can be stronger because of language barriers, and the full and wonderful life they have in India, but most importantly they want to be close to their families who are in Canada.” 

 

In the planning phase of her initiative, Ravia led ideation and dreaming sessions with the women to identify their visions for the community. “I’ve seen the growing investment in the program when we ask, ‘What are our dreams for the community?’ and then follow up with a session that builds on what was shared has shaped the program into a collaborative space.” In the past six months, participation in Ravia’s initiative programming has doubled, and program offerings have almost tripled.  

 

Over the course of one year, Pathy Fellows bring their passion projects to life while benefiting from a rich support network, generous funding, state-of-the-art training, and a committed cohort of likeminded changemakers. “I think the Fellowship is a rare opportunity for recent graduates to be trusted with a responsibility to their community and be given holistic personal and professional support early in their career,” Ravia shares. “Each Fellow is supported to enhance their skills in project management, leadership, and deepen their community connection.” 

 

A central component to the community groups that Ravia is facilitating is culturally sensitive delivery, resources and support. “Even as a second-generation immigrant, I’m working to improve my cultural competency in my own community. I grew up in a Canadian classroom, so I am used to a teacher-student dynamic. In South Asian cultures, lessons are often told in stories, it is better to not speak directly at a person or group, particularly when a young person is talking to an elder,” Ravia shares. “Facilitating the education and socialization groups, I’ve been able to move away from the expectation that I would be the one ‘teaching’ the seniors because they have so much to teach me. It’s a really valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge between generations.”  

 

Ravia is also working to create a resource guide and podcast related to support Edmontonians facing addiction. The resource guide is being developed in collaboration with a local nurse experienced in addiction care while the podcast is being created with Asra: the Punjabi Alcohol Resource in Canada. 

 

Looking to the future, Ravia is excited to begin bringing the socialization and education groups outdoors as the weather warms up and to exploring more topics that the women are interested in learning about. To ensure the longevity of the initiative beyond the Fellowship, Ravia is working on schedules and systems to plan sessions in advance to ensure the group can continue to grow and be sustained.  

 

Reflecting on success in this work, Ravia shares, “success is being responsible, honest and vulnerable in my leadership and with my community. On a personal level, success is letting go of the fear of being judged. I am learning to celebrate the learning process, and the ‘work in progress’ phase more and more every day.”  

 

To learn more about Ravia’s Pathy Fellowship initiative, or the Pathy Foundation Fellowship, please visit www.PathyFellowship.com.