The other thing to know about me is that, despite the advantages of my background, I retain a strong commitment to African and to Senegal. Perhaps the most meaningful issue in my life is that of Third World Poverty. In my own country, 60% of the people live below the level defined by the United Nations as the poverty line. The situation is very bad, and unfortunately it appears to be getting worse. As a Senegalese, who has had so many advantages, I think it is a sacred duty to make some contribution to alleviating this situation.
In the past, we all thought that the solution was political. I myself had a strong interest in politics, particularly during presidential elections in my country. I usually supported one presidential candidate on the basis of his party platform, particularly the economic and social content as they related to the poorest segments of society. However, as I gradually discovered that there were many gaps between a candidate’s stated agenda and actual implementation of it. On the other hand, we had candidates whose supposed solutions to the country’s problems would have made things worse. Repeated disappointments of this kind have made me support candidates who prepare their political agendas realistically, based on the needs of the people and in tune with the cultural environment in which the neediest segment of society lives. I have also come to the view that the real problem is not political, but economic know-how. The country needs practical fiscal policies and the development of an entrepreneurial class tthat is sophisticated about the ways of the developed world.
I have decided that the most significant contribution I can make to solving Third World poverty is in the area of economics. I think that the education I receive at a school like Virginia Wesleyan College could be put to the use of my country. The primary reason I find economics of such great importance is that it is a subject in which it is possible to obtain a realistic picture of a specific country, in terms of distribution of wealth or poverty. This enables one to propose sensible solutions to overcome the problems encountered in the day-to-day management of a society.
The subject of economics also appeals to me as a way to learn about profitability, particularly within the context of my own country. Without profitability, “the pie” will never grow larger, and we desperately need capital above and beyond a subsistance economy for investment There is a great need to increase sources of employment and income for people by developing agriculture, industries, etc., and by making people more confident that there is a way to create a better future for themselves and their families.
I visited the United States in the summer of 2001. This was an extraordinary experience. I had a glimpse of the dynamism and creativity of the world’s richest country and realized that that was where I wanted to attend university. The advantages I have enjoyed, coupled with my reading of moral philosophers like Henry Bergson have given me a deep sense of purpose. I think the way to make a genuine contribution is to master the tools of economics.
