Impact Stories: Prince

Prince came to Africa New Day as a small child, begging outside the classroom for an opportunity to attend school. Every day he would stand at the window watching the children study. His persistence paid off when Camille and Esther enrolled him in the Africa New Day primary school. 

One day learning about leadership, his class was asked to memorize Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Prince took his turn reciting in front of the class and did very well. Then with all eyes on him, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and began reading a speech he had written himself:

“As Martin Luther King had a dream for the USA, I have also a dream for Congo. I have a dream that one day Congo will rise up and return to its destiny, that this country is going to be transformed to a paradise...”

His unexpected and stirring words continued, an expression of hope that nearly moved his teachers to tears: Prince dreamed of a Congo, he said, where foreigners will come “not to bring aid, but to find rest and peace. Because God has decided to bless this country.”

Living on the street without education would have left Prince vulnerable to Congo’s worst outcomes. But with Africa New Day’s leadership training, he was able to realize the things he saw were not normal. He questioned why so much help came from outsiders, as if his people could not help themselves. And he imagined a brighter future for himself and his community, with those outsiders coming to see Congo not for its darkness but its beauty. 

Today, Prince is leading the way to that future. He is attending college in the USA and has a new dream: to become the president of Congo.

It cost us just $233 to create a leader like Prince.
Help us surpass our 2019 goal to create 3,000 more.