Question

what did 'being free' mean to mandela as a boy and as a student

Answer 1

it means he could run into crops nearby.
it could swim into clear streams nearby.
nelson mandela enjoyed the rides on back side of bulls. so he said he was born for free and being free.

Answer 2

As a boy, Mandela enjoyed many of freedom. He was not restricted to go anywhere. He used to run freely in the fields and to swim in the stream in his village. For him, freedom at this time was restricted to the freedom of his own. As a student, he wanted freedom only for himself. He wanted the freedom to study, stay away at the night and to have the freedom to go anywhere.