Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Gardiner akaberekwa muna 1914 muKumasi, Gold Coast, mumhuri yaitengesa zvinhu zvinobudirira. Pashure pokuenda kuAdisadel College, akawana dzidzo yake muSierra Leone uye muUnited Kingdom. Pashure pokupedza zvidzidzo zvake, Gardiner akava purofesa wezvoupfumi paFourah Bay College. Kubva muna 1946 kusvika muna 1948 akashanda senyanzvi yenzvimbo yeUN Trusteeship Council. Muna 1949 akapiwa basa semutungamiriri wekutanga weExtramural Studies paUniversity College muIbadan, Nigeria. Makore mana gare gare akadzokera kuGold Coast kunoshanda mumatanho akakwirira ebasa rehurumende. Mushure mekusununguka kwenyika seGhana muna 1957, Gardiner akagadzwa neMutungamiri wehurumende Kwame Nkrumah kuti ave Munyori weKugadzwa. Vaviri ava vaive nehukama husina kusimba sezvo pfungwa dzaNkrumah dzaipesana nemaitiro aGardiner ekutonga. Mushure mekudzingwa kwake muna 1959, Gardiner akagamuchira kusarudzwa kwake seMutevedzeri Wemunyori Mukuru weUN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Muna 1960 hondo yevagari vemo
Kuputika kwehondo muRepublic of Congo ichangobva kuzvimiririra uye Gardiner akabatanidzwa zvakanyanya mukuedza kweUN kugadzirisa mamiriro ezvinhu, achishanda semurevereri pakati pemapoka akasiyana uye semupi wezano wepedyo weUN Secretary-General U Thant panyaya iyi.