.Independence

Malik Fal, originally from Senegal, is Harvard-educated. He's had a career in business and as a consultant.



"The sooner Africa can graduate from its dependence on aid, the better, because that would allow businesses to flourish."

Africans' challenge today is an economic one, he says. Their fathers' challenge was to achieve political independence, but now they must achieve economic independence. Political independence "doesn't mean much unless they can sustain themselves."

"When you have a local business that's striving, that's enabling employees to send their kids to school . . this is what really transforms communities."