We want you to meet someone very special, in a story that we haven’t told before. It was on July 1st 2016, that the Director of Salone Rising, Ali Kamanda, along with Devin Harwell, arrived in the rural village of Kumala, a 3-4 hour drive from Kabala. The government had requested that the group visit […]

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to so many of you who have subscribed to our blog in the past few months! We are honored that you would take a moment out of your day to learn more about this ministry. Today we are excited to share with you an update from Devin, who […]

Recently, a team was privileged to travel to Sierra Leone to see firsthand the impact of the Mamaland Children's Village and Salone Rising programs. It truly was a personally impactful time in so many ways. During this trip, our son, Ethan, along with a team of our friends, family and fellow Colorado Christian University students, […]

Don’t let her diminutive frame fool you. When she walks into a room, her presence demands full attention. Not attention in the ways that the powerful typically are noticed with arrogance, control or noise. Her power and influence come from her humility, keen wisdom born from years of life experiences and the discerning pause she […]

This was a day that they had been eagerly anticipating for months. The 20 daughters of MamaLand had been taking classes with their Grandma Dorcas, learning all about what it means to be baptized. Each one wrote a paper on what this important milestone of their faith means to them and expressed their desire to […]

The air was filled with uncertainty, excitement and anticipation as the 20 daughters of MamaLand, their house mothers and all of the staff walked to the nearby track in Kabala. Our sons, Ethan and Cam, had been working on a special surprise for the girls for a couple months: The 1st Annual MamaLand Olympic Games! […]

Most of the girls at the MamaLand Children’s Village are orphans who have no mother or father. Over the years, the government began asking for MamaLand to occasionally consider taking in a few girls who are destitute and are vulnerable to succumb to poverty and/or neglect due to dire and extreme circumstances. Today we would […]

We have recently returned from a visit to Sierra Leone and we have sooooo much to share with you! The quick update on MamaLand is that the girls are doing absolutely amazing! Above is a picture of all 20 of them after church, looking all dressed up and so pretty. For children who have suffered […]

Watch and hear Feremusu's incredible story of survival. Feremusu, one of the first orphans to arrive at MamaLand, is now 13 and completely thriving in every way, loving having a home and family to call her own. We are unbelievably grateful for your partnership in helping to save Feremusu's life and so many precious children […]

This is a common question we receive. With MamaLand now up to 20 girls, raising all of them is a monumental task! With 20 girls ranging from 4 to 13 years old, can you begin to imagine the extent of laundry, dishes, emotions, homework help, band-aids, bedtime prayers, teeth brushing, hair braiding, food preparation and […]

Friends, literally we just received word that 3 new girls have joined MamaLand today! We don’t have too many details yet as they are currently being assessed at the medical clinic. What we do know is that these two girls pictured above are sisters, ages 7 and 4. Fatmata is 7 and Isata is 4. […]

We came across Kadey in the local open air market, noticing that she was one of the only women with a baby strapped onto her back while she worked. A toddler slept on the dirt floor between the stalls. With concern evident in her voice, Kadey pointed to the little guy on the ground, “My […]

 This next post is transparent and tender, a story shared with all of you with Devin’s permission. It was 12 years ago this month that Devin went through a very painful and unwanted divorce after 22 years of marriage. He was in a season of heartbreak, mourning the loss of how he thought his life […]

We have been back in the US for a week now. The 4th time was the charm and what a privilege it was! After having to cancel 3 previous trips for a myriad of complicated reasons, it was my first time to visit Africa, perhaps Devin’s 6th time. Several have asked how the trip was. […]

It can take a great deal of time, research and consideration from the time that the Sierra Leonean government, through their Ministry of Social Welfare, identifies a girl as being an orphan or extremely destitute in dire circumstances, to the time that she arrives at MamaLand Children's Village. The phenomenal filmmaking skills of our Executive […]