Featured Young Social Leader: Sara Malik

Sarah Malik

(on the right)

Young Social Leader and Co-Founder of Nourishing Souls

I’m Sara Malik. With my co-lead Amber Ahmed, we launched Nourishing Souls, a unique course that blends culinary arts with mental health education. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to empower and support young women by fostering personal growth, resilience, and lasting friendships.

This initiative is deeply personal. For me, culinary arts have always been a cherished passion, and the kitchen has always been a place of comfort. For both Amber and me, advocating for mental health holds a special place in our hearts, after navigating our own struggles. Meeting each other and growing together gave us the strength and confidence to face life's challenges head-on, and we wished to pass that on to others. Through Nourishing Souls, we don’t just teach skills - we create a space where women can connect, heal, and thrive.

Our vision came to life in a six-week pilot programme this year. We held weekly cooking sessions that increased in difficulty to build resilience and confidence, paired with bi-weekly mental health workshops.

Throughout the programme, our participants - young women from diverse backgrounds - cooked, built friendships and developed essential life skills. To celebrate the end of the course, we hosted a showcase with participants and their loved ones. This event was truly a testament to their growth: participants catered for over seventy guests, preparing the dishes they had mastered over the six weeks!

But it wasn’t just about the food. The young women stood on stage, bravely sharing their stories of how the course helped them, both in the kitchen and in life. Watching them grow, make mistakes, learn, and flourish together was an incredibly rewarding experience. It was exactly what we had envisioned.

Our journey wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of Unitedby2022 and The Muath Trust. These organisations believed in our vision, providing funding and resources that allowed us to transform our dream into reality. Their support helped us create a safe, nurturing environment where young women could connect and grow. Together, we’ve built a community. 

Now, we’re focused on expanding Nourishing Souls. We’re transforming it into a Community Interest Company (CIC), allowing us to reach even more young women and broaden our impact. While we work on this transition, we’re also supporting the youth group at The Muath Trust, and encouraging our participants to join us as volunteers. It’s been rewarding to see them step into these roles, giving back to their community and reinforcing the connections they built during the course.

In this journey, Amber and I are learning invaluable administrative and technical skills, which are essential for running a CIC, and developing our problem-solving abilities. Managing and growing our project is strengthening our leadership skills too.

For those interested in exploring culinary traditions, we recommend Palestine on a Plate by Joudie Kalla and The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan. These books inspire creativity through rich storytelling and flavourful recipes. As part of our course, we also explored mindfulness apps: Calm emerged as participants’ favourite. Its guided meditations and relaxation exercises were incredibly effective in promoting balance and reducing stress, making it a valuable tool for supporting mental wellness.

Nourishing Souls is just the beginning—we’re excited to grow our impact and continue empowering young women through food and wellness. Follow our journey on Instagram @nourishingsoulz or reach out via email at nourishingsouls@outlook.com.

Let’s keep nourishing minds and hearts together!

Originally featured in Young Social Leaders Newsletter Blog Series - here