Founding Story


Mary ‘Pearl’ Murphy is no ordinary woman. In 2006, she intentionally set out to make a difference in the lives of young women. She put her ears to the ground, and started searching for a worthy cause. It wasn’t long before she heard about an organization working in Lesotho, southern Africa, and was quickly inspired by stories of girls overcoming extraordinary odds to become leaders and change-makers in their poverty-stricken country. She’d found her cause.

That fall, Mary gathered up an ambitious team of high school students to raise funds to send girls in Lesotho to Help Lesotho’s annual Leadership Camp. The team decided to raise the funds by creating and selling jewellery (because who doesn’t love jewellery!). With sponsorship from Sassy Bead Co, the team began selling pearl jewellery at craft shows and markets.

Well, the pearl jewellery sold like hot cakes. Soon the team had enough money raised to send 14 girls to Help Lesotho’s Leadership Camp. It was clear that this was a real opportunity for both the Basotho girls in Lesotho, and the Canadian volunteers! Things didn’t stop there: since then, P4G has raised close to one million dollars, has empowered thousands of girls in Lesotho, and has engaged thousands of volunteers in Canada and around the world.