In quest to find birth family, woman makes 'life-altering' discovery: She's a princess

SectionsTVFeaturedMore from NBC Follow NBC News Sarah Culberson saw the unthinkable during her first visit to Bumpe, Sierra Leone, in 2004 — children wandering with missing limbs, schools reduced to rubble, entire neighborhoods destroyed or burned.This was no leisurely trip to the West African country known for its white sand beaches, though. Alongside her biological brother Hindo Kposowa, Culberson founded the Kposowa Foundation (now called Sierra Leone Rising) in 2006 to rebuild Bumpe High School and promote education in the country.Culberson’s ambition was no surprise to her family, though. So far, Culberson says, the foundation has managed to provide nine wells, serving some 12,000 people across Sierra Leone. I stepped out into a space that has been very new for me and has challenged me in many ways.”These days, Culberson visits Sierra Leone often but lives in the United States — though she and her boyfriend have discussed moving to the West African country. She published a book about her journey in 2009, and is currently working on an animated series to share her story with young people.The book, A Princess Found, will serve as the basis of a new movie produced by Stephanie Allain, who, this year, became the first Black woman to produce the Academy Awards ceremony.The significance of Culberson’s journey isn’t lost on her friends, either.“One thing that Sarah has showed me through her journey is you can never tell what you can accomplish when limits become unacceptable,” her long-time friend Amy Cumpston said.