Mariko Scavone (Malaysia)

Mariko Scavone (eHomemakers): Mariko completed her degree in Spanish from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She then lived in a rural village in Japan for two years. Mariko also worked with a small business in Nicaragua selling candles. At the time of her fellowship she was studying for a Master’s degree at the School of Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. After her fellowship, Mariko wrote: "Since working in Malaysia, I am more sensitive to the risks and challenges of operating in a developing country. In particular, I learned how lack of human resources, attitudes toward social justice work, weak legal enforcement, corruption, and human rights abuses inhibit growth, unfairly target one segment of society, and breed mediocrity."