“Nunca se te olvide que siempre estaré aqui para ti”. That was the last thing that my father said to me before I boarded the plane to meet my mother and stepfather in the United States in 2003. I have often thought back to his words, and to the unquestionable trust I placed in his promise. In retrospect, I don’t believe it was naïve of me to have thought of him as an unconditional presence. He had always been...

Last summer, I got the opportunity to visit Kenya Fluorspar’s mine with its founder, my family friend and role model, Charles Field-Marsham. After having spent time living and doing business in Kenya, Charles saw the unparalleled opportunities available in a country undergoing rapid change, and bought a government mine that was headed towards bankruptcy. The business strategy by which he reformed the company included the establishment of the Field-Marsham Medical Center and the Fluorspar School. His ventures, while incredibly...