| It’s a new year, and we have a new name! Princess Project is now officially Princess Promise. Please keep reading to hear the story of where our original name came from and why we made the decision to change it. The name Princess Project was inspired by a sweet seven-year-old orphan named Princess that Mike, our Founder and Director, met on one of his first trips to Sierra Leone in 2013. This ministry was born from a simple desire the Lord placed on Mike’s heart – to advocate for vulnerable girls like Princess. Our hearts were broken as we learned of the widespread abuse many young girls face in Sierra Leone. The country lacked even the most basic support from any private or governmental organization. So we decided to do something to help even though we didn’t know what to do or how we would do it just yet. As we got started, we quickly landed on the name Princess Project. The domain name was available, so why not? Excited to serve, we jumped right in. As our impact and involvement in Sierra Leone grew, we began to learn that words carry a lot of meaning in Sierra Leone. The word “project” in their culture means something that happens for a specific amount of time and then goes away. The word carries the connotation of westerners/foreigners coming into their country to “help” without involving their people. Everyone we interact with knows this is NOT our approach, but the word “project” has caused friction with local government officials who felt the name is a source of confusion. Even our application to become an official NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) in Sierra Leone was rejected solely because of our name! Moving forward, our new name will be Princess Promise. It’s perfect. It encompasses our heart and our mission. The girls that God has called us to love are not a “project.” They are beloved children of God. There are 7,487 promises that God makes in the Bible to His people. First and foremost, we want our girls to be aware of the promises He has made to them. And we are making a few promises of our own. We promise to seek God first in everything we do and lay this ministry before Him. We promise to guide our girls toward the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. We promise to work in the best interest of our girls, to equip them to go out into the world shining bright for Christ, provide a living for themselves, and give back to others. With all of that said – we are happy to report that the government of Sierra Leone accepted our application to become an official Non-Governmental Organization, and we will continue to work closely with them to love and serve vulnerable young girls of Sierra Leone. Mike is also thrilled to report that he will no longer have to field calls and emails about prom dresses (a source of great confusion because of the prom dress website princessproject.org). Haha! May God’s grace and peace be with you all, and Happy New Year! In Christ, The Princess Promise Team |
Princess Project is now Princess Promise
