Few days ago, I had the honour of meeting Humza Yousaf, former First Minister of Scotland, at the dinner ahead of his talk at the The Oxford Union. The evening was a remarkable opportunity to engage with a pioneering leader and learn from his journey and experiences. During our conversation, 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝘇𝗮’𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. We also spoke about Oxus Academy, an online school dedicated to providing education for Afghan women. His understanding of the importance of education in empowering marginalised communities was inspiring.

Later, at the Union, I was fortunate to hear him share insights about his remarkable political journey. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝘇𝗮 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. Born in Glasgow to Pakistani immigrants, his story is a powerful testament to resilience, vision, and breaking barriers.

Humza’s tenure as First Minister was marked by a deep commitment to social justice and inclusivity. He championed progressive policies, stood firmly for equality, and worked tirelessly to represent Scotland’s diverse communities. His achievements remind us all that, despite the challenges we may face as migrants or people of colour, perseverance and clear goals can lead to extraordinary success.

Spending time with someone whose life and work resonate with compassion, determination, and equity values was an honour. Such moments inspire me to strive for meaningful impact in my own journey.