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 […]

Wow! Wow! Wow! These are times of unprecedented growth and exciting developments! For quite some time, there were 7 girls at MamaLand. Last month we shared with you that 4 new girls arrived and they are now thriving. (Click here to read more about the girls who came last month)  Now we are ecstatic to […]

Several of you have asked for this and we are finally ready to roll out our Child Sponsorship Program! Will you please take a peek at the stories of these beautiful girls?

“All in God’s time” is the phrase that I held onto after driving away from the tiny village of Kasentity. I sat in our vehicle and looked out the window and prayed for two hours on the way home from this rural village. I’m not sure others would consider yelling at God and questioning His […]

Traveling to third world countries comes with many of its own risks. One of those being that there is a very likely chance that one may get sick. I have had malaria twice before on some of my previous trips to Africa, so I knew this time while being in Africa for so many weeks […]

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Phillipians 4:7 (NIV) This verse is what the Lord has spoken into my heart the last several weeks. MamaLand and Salone Rising are currently working on getting at least two new house mothers and 13 children […]

It’s been five years since I first visited Sierra Leone and for some reason, I can’t stop coming back. I came back to Sierra Leone three months after my first visit, convinced that I was supposed to be here for the rest of my life. Thankfully my grandma Dorcas, MamaLand’s director, convinced me to go […]

Please watch this short video. You do NOT want to miss out on the BEST 3 minutes of your day!  Ali Kamanda, our partner and filmmaker, has beautifully captured the spirit of these precious girls. The song featured is original, written and sung by our very own, Julia Kamanda.   A day in the life of a MamaLand […]

Exciting days for Mamaland!!! Although rich in mineral resources, Sierra Leone is the 8th poorest country in the world. An estimated 12,000 children in Sierra Leone were left orphaned from Ebola during the 2014 West Africa outbreak. In the face of this massive need, 60 acres of land were purchased just outside of Kabala, Sierra Leone. It […]

We are concluding our 3 part series, where we have gotten to know the Kamanda family better, our dear friends and partners in ministry. In a previous blog post, we learned more about Grandma Dorcas Kamanda, then about Julia Kamanda and finally we are hearing from Ali Kamanda who plays an integral part in the […]

"Joyful, free, warm, funny, confusing, painful, busy, exhausting, dusty, exhilarating, lonely, hungry, tiring, amazing."  -Words that describe the Kamanda family's life in Sierra Leone, Julia Kamanda As promised, we are sharing a glimpse into the lives of Julia and Ali Kamanda, our partners in Africa, now like family to us. They have left the comforts […]

Several people have asked, how do you run a charity on the other side of the world when you live in Colorado and run a small business here? Have you ever had that person---perhaps a friend, spouse, boss or mentor---who crossed your path at just the perfect moment, adding so much tangible and intangible to […]

“We heard that there were 266 Ebola Orphans in this part of Sierra Leone. I wanted to go to the village to see the orphans firsthand. It was so sad! You should have seen the children in this village! Devin and Ali were there with me and we were all in tears. I couldn’t sleep […]

In 2013, a tragic epidemic began to devastate West Africa. Symptoms would begin with a sudden influenza-like stage, characterized by fatigue, fever, headache and sore throat.  This was often followed by vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, along with swelling and confusion. Lastly internal and external bleeding would occur with most people […]