I started traveling to Africa on health-related missions at the beginning of the 1980s. From the beginning, Africa caught my interest and my imagination. It is, after all, the continent where my father was born — when my Lebanese grandfather went to work providing food to miners in Transvaal. That I went on public health missions was a big advantage since it allowed me to go to places and see situations that no tourist normally sees.
From the beginning I realized that there are two Africas: one normally portrayed in the media, a land of poverty, disease and war; and the other, a vital, energetic continent of hardworking men and women, a continent of beautiful children and young men and young women, a continent of humor and a continent of hope.
Today six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.