Meet Dev
Born in Botswana. Grown in Mississauga. Home has only ever meant one place.
Where it started
Before any of this, there was school. I studied political science at McMaster, with a specialization in global citizenship. That is where I started paying real attention to the people that systems tend to leave behind.
I am now furthering that in the United Kingdom, pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Birmingham with a focus on public policy, and studying health economics and policy at the London School of Economics. All of it driven by a belief that policy has to serve people, not the other way around.
My work kept circling the same questions: ethnic minorities, migrant populations at risk, and how international trade lands on ordinary people. But my education did not begin or end in a classroom. It was shaped by every community I walked into, every silenced voice I stood beside, and every cause I chose to fight for.
McMaster University
Specialization in global citizenship.
University of Birmingham
Focus on public policy. United Kingdom, in progress.
London School of Economics
Focus on ethnic minorities, at-risk migrants and international trade.
The story
01 — Botswana
I came into the world as a premature baby, small enough that nothing was promised. From my very first breath, my parents fought for me, and that fight shaped everything I would become.
It is also how I came to understand privilege, and what it demands of those who hold it. I have an education, a voice, and an opportunity, and an obligation to use all three in service of others.
02 — Ward 11
My family settled here, and this is where I did my growing up. These are the streets where I chalked the sidewalks, played soccer, ran around playing cops and robbers, and made memories through every stage of growing up.
I went to school here. I laughed here, and yes, I cried here too. Almost my whole Canadian life has happened inside this ward, and when I say it is home, I mean it the way you mean it.
In his words
"The neighbours here are not constituents. They are family."
The record
School was the start, not the point. The long version is for anyone who asks at the door.
Built
While I was at McMaster I founded BIO, a diversity-focused student group. It started on one campus and grew until it reached universities across Ontario. Building it taught me that you can earn a seat at the table early, as long as you are willing to make room for the people who usually get left out.
Worked
I have worked alongside provincial and federal governments, volunteered in campaigns, and served in constituency offices and parliaments. That is where I saw how the machine actually works, and where the ceiling is on what you can do for people when you answer to someone else. Public service is not just something I do. It is who I am.
Serves
I am Chair of North American operations for the Rama Global Foundation, a contributor to Khalsa Food Services, and the youth chair of the Anavil Samaj of Canada. Community work has never been a side project for me. It is the part that came first.
Showed up
I took time away to work closely with homeless and vulnerable populations in South Africa, with a hands-on, holistic approach to the people who needed it most. Showing up for people who need someone in their corner is not a photo op for me. It is the habit the rest of this is built on.
What he runs on
Value 01
Young people here are not short on ambition. They are short on opportunity. The next generation should be leading now, not someday.
Value 02
His neighbours are family, not constituents. He did not learn this community from a briefing note. He lived it.
Value 03
He shows up for people who need someone in their corner, including hands-on work with homeless and vulnerable populations in South Africa.
Why I'm running
"Working for a politician and working for your community are not the same thing."
Politics has been my passion for as long as I can remember. Working as a staffer and volunteering with parties brought that dream to life, but it also showed me the ceiling on what you can do for people when you answer to someone else.
Ward 11 is home in every sense of the word. My neighbours are not constituents, they are family. This is a personal fight, and I want the full power to show up for this community the way it deserves.
My mission is simple: to unite Ward 11 and build a Mississauga that works for everyone. Good governance is not about waiting your turn. It is about earning your place through service, integrity, and results.
Off the clock
One of Dev's favourite restaurants in the ward. He is a huge chai fan and they are known for theirs. This is not a coincidence.
Weekends are for ice cream with the family. The campaign schedule works around this, not the other way round.
Saved for the next one
Pending: one more human detail from Dev