A Ghanaian Found $20,000 … and Returned It
He has already been called a hero. For almost a week, his story has been in U.S. media headlines. Bismark Mensah, a 32-year-old Ghanaian immigrant who arrived in the United States barely a year ago just received the “Integrity in Action Award” 2013 from a large American company. An honor that could have gone largely unnoticed if it were not from Wal-Mart, the world’s number one large-scale retail company and largest private employer in the United States.
The story dates back to October 2012. At the time, Bismark who was committed to his job, worked part time in one of the chain’s supermarkets in Seattle and was paid $9.05 per hour. His job? Helping customers leaving the store. That particular afternoon, he helped Leona Wisdom and Gary Elton put their shopping in the car. Once the couple had left, the Ghanaian realized that they had left a small white envelope filled with notes in the trolley. A lot of notes … a small jackpot of $20,000. Which he — wait for it — decided to return.
“No, no, I’m all right.”
“I run after them. I think somebody heard me and signaled for them to stop,” Bismark Mensah told to American newspaper The Seattle Times. The young man said that he hadn’t thought for a second about keeping the money for himself and still remembers Leona’s reaction. “She was like, ‘Wow!’ Tears are coming out. She took some money and tried to reward me. I said, ‘No, no. I’m all right.’”
The most important thing for him, he says, is to work long enough in the United States to be able to return to Ghana and help his mother, a seamstress, manage and expand her five shops.
Five months later and here we find the Ghanaian being honored by this famous “award” and a new full-time job contract with social benefits and $9.19-per-hour pay. An increase of 14 cents. The U.S. giant has pulled — very inexpensively — a nice little publicity stunt.
And you, what would you do after finding an envelope containing $20,000?
The story dates back to October 2012. At the time, Bismark who was committed to his job, worked part time in one of the chain’s supermarkets in Seattle and was paid $9.05 per hour. His job? Helping customers leaving the store. That particular afternoon, he helped Leona Wisdom and Gary Elton put their shopping in the car. Once the couple had left, the Ghanaian realized that they had left a small white envelope filled with notes in the trolley. A lot of notes … a small jackpot of $20,000. Which he — wait for it — decided to return.
“No, no, I’m all right.”
“I run after them. I think somebody heard me and signaled for them to stop,” Bismark Mensah told to American newspaper The Seattle Times. The young man said that he hadn’t thought for a second about keeping the money for himself and still remembers Leona’s reaction. “She was like, ‘Wow!’ Tears are coming out. She took some money and tried to reward me. I said, ‘No, no. I’m all right.’”
The most important thing for him, he says, is to work long enough in the United States to be able to return to Ghana and help his mother, a seamstress, manage and expand her five shops.
Five months later and here we find the Ghanaian being honored by this famous “award” and a new full-time job contract with social benefits and $9.19-per-hour pay. An increase of 14 cents. The U.S. giant has pulled — very inexpensively — a nice little publicity stunt.
And you, what would you do after finding an envelope containing $20,000?
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