The Pathy Foundation Fellowship is pleased to announce that Sara-Maya Kaba (Cohort 8, 2023-2024) will hold this year’s Alumnx position on the program’s Selection Committee. This position is held annually by a former Pathy Fellow representing an important commitment to prioritizing youth perspectives, wisdom, and leadership in the annual Selection process. As the seventh member of this year’s Selection Committee, Sara-Maya will contribute to interviewing, evaluating, and deliberating on which candidates will form Cohort 10 of the Pathy Foundation Fellowship.   

After completing a Bachelor of Education specializing in Artistic and Community Education and a Bachelor of International Development Studies, Sara-Maya’s passion to address mental health utilizing arts-based methodologies with students in Pakistan became the foundation for her Pathy Fellowship initiative. “When working in Northern Pakistan earlier, I had been exposed to the existing mental health challenges in that region, so my goal with the Fellowship was to come back to address what I had seen and heard,” Sara-Maya explains. 

Through her initiative, Aawaaz, Sara-Maya created culturally responsive mental health education resources, working with marginalized student populations, educators, principals, school leadership, mothers, and other interest holders. In addition to utilizing arts-based methodologies, Aawaaz also aimed to bridge mental health and winter sports in mountainous communities. Pakistan’s first ringette program was launched under Aawaaz, coupled with mental health training. Aawaaz partnered with established organizations throughout the year such as Right to Play, The Aga Khan University, and the Kiran Foundation, ultimately working with over 250 students and 290+ educators across 4 cities in Pakistan.  

“The Pathy Fellowship gave me experiences that I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else,” Sara-Maya shares. “It was incredibly exciting for me to have the space to be creative and make my own decisions. The program’s commitment to youth leadership supports young people to explore their passion and address the issues they care about, and I don’t think a lot of people my age have that opportunity.”  

Since completing the Pathy Fellowship, Sara-Maya has started a nonprofit, The Fourth Space, continuing her work with youth and focusing on holistic well-being and resilience in the face of challenges. “The Fellowship solidified my desire to use the arts to engage with communities, particularly with youth in vulnerable circumstances,” Sara-Maya explains. “The arts are a tool for self-expression, but also a tool for communication and for societal improvement.” 

Sara-Maya believes that her learnings from the Fellowship experience have unquestionably impacted her work beyond the program. “The experience made me more resilient and more creative; navigating how my positionality relates to procuring resources and designing materials meant I had to learn a very different skill set that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.”  

Sara-Maya is currently working as an educator in Alberta in various capacities, and is developing her non-profit, The Fourth Space. Beyond this, says that she feels more equipped to navigate and find comfort in the unknown as she explores career pathways. She shares, “I came out of the year with a lot more humility, gratitude, and an overall understanding that things will not always go the way that I envisioned and that’s okay. Letting go of expectations and becoming flexible and resourceful is an important thing I am taking away.”  

During her time in Pakistan, Sara-Maya developed relationships with various organizations and began shaping the direction for her future career. “It is so inspiring to hear about the work and impact happening in youth development in Pakistan and be able to, in some cases, work with those organizations. It has been incredible and humbling.” 

 Looking ahead to this year’s Selection in March, Sara-Maya is excited to be a part of the process. “The Fellowship is a space of community and I’m excited to not only be a part of that space as an individual but also to start crafting that for the candidates.” Reflecting on her own Selection experience and thinking about advice she would share with candidates, Sara-Maya adds: “The fellowship prioritizes one’s ability to learn, grow, and be inspired by the people around them. My cohort and I all cared so deeply about our communities and we were willing to be flexible in the face of challenges to our initiatives. I’d encourage this year’s candidates to reflect on the ‘why’ behind their initiative and speak authentically and openly about their vision for their community. 

 Up to twelve Pathy Fellowships are offered annually. Successful candidates will join the year-long, cohort-based program, gaining access to training, funding, and integrated personal supports as they realize their impact initiatives alongside their communities.  

To learn more about the Pathy Foundation Fellowship, please visit: www.PathyFellowship.com.