What do a motorcycle, money, and a meeting with a president have in common? A teenager named Emmanuel Tuloe. The teen from Liberia became a national hero when he returned a huge amount of lost cash to its owner. As a big thank you, the teenager got a cash reward, a new mattress, and a meeting with his country’s president, George Weah.

Emmanuel dropped out of school in the seventh grade. That’s when he started running a taxi service with his motorcycle. He worked to earn money for his family. The teenager was driving his motorcycle taxi when he saw a bundle wrapped in a plastic bag. It had been dropped on the side of the road. When he opened it, he found money inside—a LOT of money. $50,000!

 “I was afraid because it was plenty (of money), and so I brought it home and gave it to my aunty to keep until the owner could ask for it,” he explains.

In the meantime, Musu Yancy was looking everywhere for the money she lost. The businesswoman went on the radio, “crying for her money and appealing to anyone finding it,” says Emmanuel. He took the entire $50,000 to her.

Many people applaud Emmanuel for returning what he found to its rightful owner. But sadly, some people mock the teen. They say he was foolish not to keep it. Even some of Emmanuel’s friends poke fun at him for doing the honorable thing. “They tell me I will never get rich in my lifetime. They say because I returned such an amount of money, I will live and die poor,” he says. 

Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” Emmanuel stands behind his decision to return the money. He encourages other people to live honestly.

With gratitude, the businesswoman rewarded Emmanuel with cash and gifts that amounted to about $1,500. He plans to share the reward with the people who were in his taxi when he found the money. “But the mattress I got will be given to my grandma,” he says firmly.

Why? Honesty matters, even when it’s hard to be truthful. Often, righteousness requires people to make difficult choices and to sacrifice personal gain.