Abongui My People, Cote D'Ivoire My Country, America My Home

Book excerpt: An economist with the World Bank Group, Kouassi admits his addiction to the fishing his daddy taught him early on the Djoreh river. An eligible heir to the throne of the Abongui kingdom in northeastern Côte d'Ivoire, he left home for school at five; saw an electrical light bulb in action and slipped into his first pair of shoes at eleven. Like most of his office colleagues, Kouassi knows first hand what it means to be poor. "Some people learn about poverty in books, yet millions have lived it; that means you assess situations and measure progress differently," titled his recent mini-portrait. This autobiography responds to demand from family and friends who wish to learn more about his amazing life story. From his native village in Côte d'Ivoire to graduate school in America, via the University of Abidjan, this breathtaking story walks you through the ethno-history of his culture and ethnicity. Moreover, it shows how his US-based charity has reached across miles to his home tribe. "Abongui Assah Bow Boka," or "Abongui's Helping Hand" in his native language, is incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Besides its historical content, the story links closely the value of education to Kouassi's own life.