Honoring my Nana

This month, I lost my grandfather, my Nana, whose life, love, and unwavering belief in women’s potential shaped not only who I am, but the very heart of the As We Rise Foundation.

My Nana greeted the world with a smile that never dimmed or wavered except when he saw others upset at one another, with a laugh that would sometimes be the response to his own. He carried an unquenched wonder and insatiable curiosity that reminded all of us to keep learning, keep growing, and keep imagining better possibilities for not only ourselves but those around us.

But what made him extraordinary wasn’t just his warmth or his curiosity. It was his belief, steadfast, vocal, and deeply lived, of the empowerment of underserved people. Especially women and that in essence that the empowerment of women was the key to transforming societies and countries.

“A country does not reach its true potential until the women in it are empowered,” he once told me. I took that to heart. Those words became more than just wisdom, they became the foundation of my life’s work as I was telling him about my research. His conviction in gender equality shaped the As We Rise Foundation from the very beginning from not only his belief in his daughters and grandchildren but his unwavering belief in my grandmother, my Nani. He encouraged me to dream boldly, to pursue my education fearlessly, and to believe that girls anywhere in the world deserve the same opportunities he ensured for the women in our family.

He empowered my mother and my aunts, Shireen, Nasreen, and Yasmin, to pursue education, independence, and leadership at a time when few men around them did both in the United States but also Pakistan. He uplifted my cousins, Yasmin and Sophie, with the same love and belief. And above all, he devoted himself to his wife, my grandmother, Khadija, with a partnership rooted in respect, sincerity, and deep admiration. His life was proof that gender equality begins at home. His devotion to equality and understanding, the acceptance of different ideas and cultures is what made my family so diverse and for that I thank him always. 

This year, in what feels like a final blessing, Nana witnessed the completion of As We Rise’s first cumulative school year. He saw what his words had sparked: classrooms full of girls learning with confidence and building futures that once felt out of reach. Seeing the school’s progress filled him with pride as he was brought to tears, I found myself in tears as well, as we shared a pride for how dreams we once talked about in my research as a reality. 

I am grateful he lived to see the mission he inspired come to life.

Losing him has been painful in ways I am still learning to articulate, but his legacy is woven into everything I do. His values live on in every girl who walks through our doors, every family who invests in their daughter’s education, and every step forward we take toward a more equal world.

To my Nana, thank you for inspiring this journey. Thank you for believing in me, and in the power of women, long before the world told you that you should. Thank you for the laughter, the stories, the warmth, and the curiosity that lit our lives.

May your soul rest in peace. I am comforted knowing you are in a place gentler than this one. and that the work you inspired continues to rise.