The Foreign Service Journal, June 2004

the Government Remand Home in Lagos. A social welfare officer there interviewed Mercy, discovered she was from Uromi and transferred her back to the Government Remand Home in Edo State. In Edo, though, no one accepted Mercy’s identity. Rejected by her own people in Uromi, she was placed in the St. Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School in Benin City. The principal of the school graciously accepted her, even though money was lacking to pay for her studies. Finally, in January 2003, Mercy received an application for the U.S. ambassador’s Girls’ Scholarship Pro- gram. The program offered Mercy the possibility of finally completing her education. She applied and was accepted. “I never knew of the possibility of having a scholarship,” Mercy says. “It is a surprise to me and I thank God for it.” Mercy’s scholarship was disbursed this year and is intended to cover one term’s school fees. “So the patient dog eventually ate the fattest bone,” Mercy says, thanks to the U.S. scholarship program. Mike Hankey Information Officer Consulate General Lagos Exchange Program Fuels Progress in Ghana As a participant in this year’s Senior Seminar, I did an individual research project that looked at the impact of time spent in North America on 12 Ghanaians who stud- ied or worked abroad and then returned home, where they became agents of social change. My research focused not on the technical skills and knowledge the Ghanaians acquired in the U.S. and Canada, but on changes in their perspectives, attitudes and values, and on how those changes affected their behavior and their aspi- rations for themselves and their coun- try. Their experiences provide valuable insights into how the United States, by offering academic and work oppor- tunities to people from other coun- tries, can contribute to building bet- ter, more liberal societies in the devel- oping world. These 12 (and many more like them) are putting into practice their new liberal values and attitudes in a broad range of fields, contributing to Ghana’s development and serving as role models for the wider society. Their actions support and strengthen Ghana’s reform program, which our government endorses and supports. With their American-style “can do” approach and a new willingness to take risks for change, they are setting a new standard, and paving the way J U N E 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 63 Interim Accommodations for Corporate and Government Markets Apartments, Townhouses & Single Family Homes “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE” finder5@IX.netcom.com Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized Many “Walk to Metro” locations Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619 Executive Lodging Alternatives