Andrew Sievright

about

Andrew Sievright has shown entrepreneurship and vision from a young age. His father, a successful businessman, mentored Andrew in principles of management and operation. When Andrew was eighteen, he started and oversaw several businesses. One such business grew into a thriving company with 25 employees. After seeing success and growth in the business realm, Andrew turned his attention to international development and aid. Andrew joined Youth with a Mission (YWAM), one of the world’s largest relief and mercy organizations.

Andrew oversaw the largest YWAM base in North America. He applied years of business experience to the base’s training center and ten schools, composed of twenty-six departments and one hundred ten staff. The schools taught skills such as desktop publishing for third-world countries, writing and music journalism. These schools became the training ground for students who would later be dispatched to 250 locations across the world.

Andrew’s base sent out many international aid teams to developing nations throughout the world. When Andrew heard of the orphanages that the teams visited, he knew that, given the opportunity, he would build an orphanage based on a self-sufficient business model. The orphanage would empower orphans to be leaders through excellent education and leadership training. The campus would be financially self-sustainable through local business ventures. The vision for Heroes of the Nation was birthed.

After five years of working with YWAM, Andrew invested into a home in California. He devoted time, money and energy into remodeling the house for the next three years. When it was finished, local real estate agents appraised the value of the home at 1.7 million. By this time, Andrew has purposed to launch an orphanage from the profit received on his home. He put the house on the market for $800,000 more than what realtors had said it would sell for. The first Open House took place on September 11, 2001, the same day that the World Trade Center was destroyed. In the midst of the subsequent economic downturn and real estate freeze, it did not seem possible that Andrew would be able to sell his home for the asking price. However, two days later, a buyer purchased Andrew’s home in cash for the exact amount Andrew had asked for.

Andrew founded Heroes of the Nation the following year. He began the process of buying land, hiring staff and beginning construction. He mentored Dr. Weston and Violet Gitonga in the leadership of the HTN campus. They would carry his vision to create a campus that would equip and empower future leaders for Africa.

The Heroes of the Nation campus has grown to be the largest orphanage in Kenya, educating and caring for over 500 children. Government officials have applauded the successful model of HTN, recognizing its impact on orphans and in community. Andrew continues to offer insight into the growth and development of an orphanage prototype that is truly revolutionary in its scope.