Q&A with Sarah Adama

Q&A

WITH SARAH ADAMA

Sarah is a part of a new generation of politically engaged and motivated future leaders. We first met her when she took part in one of our Client Focus Groups linked to the EY Foundation in back in June 2020. She is a current law undergraduate, hoping to pursue a master’s degree and leave a mark on the political and economic landscape.

We’ve not seen you for a couple of years. What have you been up to? I am now in the final year of my law degree and have spent the last few years working to provide alternative solutions to people, particularly the youth in the U.K. Many are from communities that lack the necessary exposure, access and leadership to achieve good outcomes in life.

I work on projects with the objective of economically empowering people to prosper. I focus on community building at a grassroots level and cultivating relationships with stakeholders at all levels, the public and private sectors. Alongside a strong community of partners, I devote financial resources, mentorship and support to young entrepreneurs, anything that provides an alternative to a life they already know.

This takes many forms. Law City, a legal organisation, is one of these projects for the legal sector. Founded by a close friend who is a trainee solicitor at a magic circle firm, Law City develops and connects aspiring lawyers from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to mentorship and careers in the city. We have a network of over 3,000 aspiring legal professionals across the globe.

In January 2020, I became a youth adviser on the Bank of England Youth Forum. I conducted a year-long study on the effects of Covid-19 on youth unemployment in the labour market. The report was presented to the monetary policy committee and has also been published on the website.

In March 2020, I joined the Women of the City Magazine as one of the Editors. I write to inform our expansive network of readers about politics and the economy and profile women trailblazing their industries.

Tell us a bit more about ‘Women of the City’ Women of the City is a global platform for women who are inspirational in their daily lives. WOTC is a large community of trailblazers, women doing extraordinary things who can be recognised on a platform. We have a vision to put value on all woman across the world and introduce a new class of influencers, who have real impact in politics, business and community.

Since 2020, we have featured 100+ cover girls, hosted city-wide and virtual summits, marked important weeks such as Fashion Week, the Now Woman Summit and The Big Beauty Summit and supported women with the resources to start or grow their businesses. WOTC launched its New Faces Awards (NFAs) in December 2021 to recognise the work of new trailblazers and highlight opportunities to foster new partnerships, build alliances and upli female entrepreneurs, professionals and creatives. What has been your highlight during this period ? The problems that I am presented with in community building push me out of my comfort zone. It has given me a high level of responsibility, ability to solve problems but an invisible drive that keeps me going on a daily basis. Of course, this is mainly because I have the right mentorship and guidance.

I do everything with the belief that nothing is beyond reach, or “impossible is nothing” as my mentor says. You are never too young to change your community.

I have contributed to fundraising millions that went back into investing in communities through various endeavours, both in the U.K. and Africa. I have seen the impact of this investment, with many families being helped and young entrepreneurs being able to expand their business and create more jobs.

What’s next for you ? A er graduation, I will pursue a master's degree in the area of social sciences at an Oxbridge University or London School of Economics and Political Science and later qualify as a solicitor.

I see myself advising governments and companies and supporting new, young leaders to take up political positions. Philanthropy is good but one policy changes a million lives in a minute. I want to influence the way policies are made and write policies that are forward-looking and inspire transformational leadership.