I was born in Sierra Leone in the waning days of British colonial rule. In the village school, we heartily sang many English songs that seem to glorify Britain's place in the world. This came to an end sixty years ago, when a new nation was born, ushering in new challenges for the country. At the time of independence, I was among the lucky few children who succeeded in getting a higher secondary school education. I was then admitted to the Faculty of Economics, University of Sierra Leone. After several twists and turns, the doors for further education opened for me, but this time in another continent, Europe, and another country, Italy. My formal education came to an end at the University of Oxford, in England. I then entered the real world, working together with other people in making this world a better place to live in.