Rwanda advisor

Malik Fal, educated in Africa and the U.S., has worked in global industry (Pepsi-Co) and most recently as Managing Director, Omidyar Network Africa.  

He's seen big changes since growing up in Senegal, which was formerly a French colony and is now independent.  From his point of view, "Political independence without economic independence is meaningless. This is the struggle of our lifetime."   

His mission has been to help Africans create wealth through what he calls "competitiveness" which he describes as:  "the ability to produce and sell good-quality, high-margin products and services to demanding clients both at home and abroad".  Business strategy in emerging markets is his specialty.

So he became an economic advisor to the Rwandan leadership.  Of that experience he says, "I love Rwanda because modern Rwanda is a story of resilience, integrity, and hope." (page 83)

As a co-author of In the River They Swim, he writes, "Wealth creation is the only sustainable way out of poverty, and nations whose leaders do not believe this are nations in danger of remaining poor." (page 93)