Devon
Leondis
Guest
Devon grew up in Long Island, NY. As a little girl, she would pray for poor and sick children. She prayed with her Barney doll for poor children to have a home and food. While many kids were dreaming of becoming a singer, athlete or actress, Devon wanted to build an orphanage in Africa by the time she was nine. “God instilled that on my heart and it really stuck with me as I got older,” she says. For her 16th birthday, Devon asked for donations, in lieu of gifts, so she could fund a fresh water well for people in need. She was able to raise $7,000 from her party and gave the money to Operation Blessing. That was enough money for not one, but three water wells.
Devon’s parents thought that was the end of it. “That wasn’t the end,” she said. “I wanted to go to Africa.” A few months later, she and her dad planned their first trip with OB in July 2010. “That trip changed my life. More than I could have imagined it changed my life,” she says. After they got back, Devon filed the necessary paperwork to start a non-profit organization, called Project Nyame Nsa (pronounced nah-men-sah) which means “God’s helping hand.” She wanted to raise money but had to wait for the approval which took two years. By the time she was a freshman in college, Devon was finally able to raise money to build an orphanage. Since then, Devon has raised the first million to build a village. It is currently in the first phase of construction. She will need another million to complete the village. “We have the chapel, the guest house and the housing block, which will be home to 50 orphans and six sets of foster parents,” she says. The village will be dedicated in July. “I’m trusting God,” says Devon who plans on moving to Ghana indefinitely. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back.” She reminds us that God is faithful in His promises. “He has a purpose for everyone’s life.”
Devon has partnered with Orphan’s Promise. “OP has made our job so much easier with regard to finances. We have had an amazing experience.”