World of Princesses Ministry is a girl oriented organization Founded by Sr. Irene Lucy Onyai under the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG) with the goal to empower the Girl-Child to live their lives to the fullest. It an entity under the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG). In her new post to Nebbi Catholic Diocese after her transfer from Kampala, Rev. Irene Lucy Onyai
(LSMIG) could not keep silent on the degrading situations of the Girl-Child. Extremely few are in school and Many do not even think of education as part of their lives, others are abandoned teen mothers, while others are physically and sexually exploited and abused in the domestic and economic arena. This cycle of degradation affected the self esteem and self worth of the girls, their position in the ‘man’s world and their general world view even in line with the gospel and teaching of the church. The passion for the well being of the girls burned the Heart of Sr. Irene Lucy Onyai, LSMIG. She immediately organised the first ever girl conference. This was held from the 23rd -26th January 2014. The girls were also given an additional name “princess” as a baseline for the empowerment of the girls in the light of the gospel ‘Blessed Virgin Mary is a Queen and so the girls who are her daughters are princess! The name ‘princesses’ then took over all the programmes. With the success of the girl conference January 2014, the programme immediately ‘caught fire’ and began to organize series of girls Camps within Parishes with requests from the girls and the Parish priests; this later led to the formation of the ministry; World of Princesses Ministry. The girl ministry has seen tremendous growth and is also registered under the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Youth Ministry (CACRYM) of Uganda. It’s operation is nationally but with close supervision of Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG) and CACRYM. GOAL: An empowered and emancipated God fearing girl
OBJECTIVES
1. Help a girl cherish her dignity and that of other persons as made in the image and likeness of God
2. Embrace joyfully the call to love and live chastely either as a married person or as a celibate person
3. Deepen the relationship with Christ and the Church through frequent prayer and celebration of the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Eucharist
4. Promoting Girl-child education and reducing early marriages
5. Achieve girl child empowerment and reduce cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and exploitation
Slogan: Hello Princess! PROGRAMMES
Annual Diocesan Princesses Conference: This is a one week girls’ conference usually held in the third week of January. It is grand gathering of all the girls from all over the diocese and beyond. The programme is fun filled with topical issues critical to girls and youth. These include God’s endless love for mankind, womanhood and its positions, chastity, the Lordship of Jesus, entertainments and performances. This conference is open to all girls regardless of religion, status, education, but from the age of 13-35yrs. Holiday Princesses Camps: This is a follow-up of the Diocesan Conference. It is a weekend Camp starting from Thursday Afternoon to Sunday in a selected parish within a deanery which happens during the First and Second term Holiday (May and August). This Camp also makes it possible for girls who couldn’t make it to the diocesan conference to attend. This is organised in coordination with the hosting Parish Priest and the youth office. Other girls within the deanery are also welcome to participant. Princesses Forums: This is the monthly fellowship held within each Chapels, to strengthen the girls in the faith and in the chaste life. The forum also involves bible sharing, prayers, experiential sharing, testimonies and issues of concern. The issues of the concern are received and handled by the Princesses Protection Teams (PPTs). Princesses Quarterly Retreats: This is a quarterly one day retreat at Parish level were all the girls converge for prayer, Bible sharing, penance and adoration. It’s purpose is to strengthen the faith and the chastity stance of the girls. Chastity Clubs: These are programmes promoting the virtues of chastity and strengthening those living chaste lives in schools, Parishes and places of work. Annual Princesses Sunday: This is one Sunday in a year where the girls from within the entire Parish animate and take on the liturgy of the Sunday Mass at the Parish chapel. This Princesses Sunday is to achieve the recognition and the participation of the girls within the church programmes. School Princesses Recollection: Aware that the schools have the highest number of youth, the programmes under this is intended to reach-out to the girls even while at school through one day or half day recollections. Annual Princesses Tea with the Bishop and Mother General: Annually the princesses’ leaders (Executives) have a brief Tea with their Bishop and mother General of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG) Congregation as a mode to ‘hear wisdom from the father and mother. It is also a day were certain proposals are made across to the elders of the faith for considerations. Princesses Protection Teams (PPTs): These are girls’ protection Committees existing in every Catholic Parish within the diocese. These groups are tasked with receiving, recording and handling cases of girl-child abuses within their localities. The PPTs receives cases of rights denial, abuses and exploitations such as denial of education, force to marriage, defilements, physical abuses, sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBVs), segregation due to gender and many others. Princesses Vocational Schools: This is a vocational school established to provide vocational skills to teen mothers, school dropout girls, and poor and vulnerable girls. The school provides tailoring, crafts making, computer lessons, catering and any other courses deemed proper for the girls. This is to enable them to become self employed and overcome the torturing weight of poverty. Chastity Campaign: Chastity is the Jesus’ call to all youth and the ministry is also playing its part in promoting it. This is being done in all the conferences and Camps. It is being done through signing a Commitment to Chastity Card. Vocational training for teen mothers, School drop outs and poor and vulnerable girls: In the bid to empower the girls to live economically and financially independent, the vocational training places them on the road to self employment and therefore financial independence. The courses trained include tailoring, Catering, Craft making, computer, hairdressing, and many others. Under this, the girls can be admitted in the princesses’ vocation school or any other institution of the girl’s course of interest. Scholarship to brilliant and enthusiastic Teen Mothers, school drop outs and poor and vulnerable girls: Girl-Child education is a right and a prerequisite for community growth and development; unfortunately in Northern Uganda and particularly in West Nile region, Girl-Child education is the least and the most ignored. We have continuous request for scholarships to support more girls. With only $300, a girl can be in school for the whole year! With only $100, a teen mother can complete her vocational training! With only $10, a girl can attend the one week Conference and be changed FOREVER! Will You Be That Savior? Income Generating Activities (IGA) to Teen Mothers, School dropout and poor and vulnerable girls: Income Generating Activities (IGA) enables teen mothers, school dropouts and poor and vulnerable girls to begin a life free from exploitation and abuse caused by poverty and dependence. The IGA is a basic capital for business enterprise. With only $250, You can set a teen mother on the road to freedom!
