Kareem was a young boy living in Nigeria, and all he wanted was an education. Kareem had seen the power of education. In his home country, having an education meant you were a master; having no education meant you were a slave or dimwit-worthy of being looked down upon. The hope for education and a job in government or commerce was overwhelming. Kareem's journey to attain an education would not be simple. The joy of going to class was cut short when he was prematurely pulled from school due to his family's financial hardship. With no hope in sight, Kareem abandoned his father's intention of teaching him to be a bike repairman. He became a homeless walker of the streets, barely surviving for years until finally, thirty years later, he arrived in the United States. "Growing Up amid Uncertainties" is the memoir of an indigent African persevering against social, political, and economic hardship to fulfill the dream of a good education and a better life. Kareem faced many obstacles-including the assassination of his brother-before reaching American soil. This is his story: an example of the importance of public school education for the betterment of individual lives as well as society at large.