Bel Air Home For Children and Adolescence in Grenada

On Saturday [March 17] I had a splendid day! So earlier last week, Kenny I decided that we should visit the Bel Air Home to speak with the manager as well as to spend some time with the kids.

Kenny and at the entrance of  the Bel Air Home 

 My first impression of the Home itself was very much satisfactory! I was really pleased with what I saw. It is painted in a beautiful yellow and it looks so much like a family's home and not necessarily as a Home that cares for kids. This made me feel that the children there do not feel too stigmatized by that aspect of their reality - they are, at this present time, not fortunate enough to live with their biological parents and or relatives, but have to be cared for by others.

We met the Manager in her office as we entered into the Home. The Manager, Lisa, was talking to two of her workers and asked us to hold on for a while.

Office at the Bel Air Home

Lisa was so very friendly and willing to listen to us; she was also very cooperative in  answering  all our questions to the best of her ability. She told me that the Bel Air Home was founded by a retired couple from Scotland. The husband was a retired professor of Grenada’s St. George’s University and his wife was a retired nurse who saw the need for a home for children in Grenada. Lisa explained to me that they, the founders of the Home got help from many influential organizations in Grenada such as SGU, Grenlec and other companies. Some of the organization are still sponsoring the Home, others are not. 

Front view of the Bel Air Home 

Kenny, Lisa and I outside her work place

We also got the opportunity to spend some time to play with the kids. There are no pictures of us with the kids, or the kids by themselves because their identities are confidential. One short moment I will love to share with you about Kenny is when we were in the nursery.  As I stated before cameras were not allowed, so I don't have  a picture with him in there, so I will just put one of our favorite pictures: 

So the nursery has kids from birth to 8years of age.  I walked around the different cribs blowing kisses or making silly faces to the babies in the cribs while Kenny was still upfront talking to the bigger children. After a while of making funny faces with one little baby boy who loves laughing, I turned around just to see Kenny sitting flat on the ground with about 5 fives on his lap. I was stunned! It just meant a lot to see him playing with the children, children whom he had met for the very first time. He just welcomed them into his arms and lap, freely giving to them his unconditional love! I am so thankful that he too sees and understand the needs of those innocent children. They need love and I know that it feels so good to them to receive it from others.
I feel really excited to get Angels’ Palace started. I am also so excited and thankful that Lisa told me that I can always stop by or keep in contact via email with her.  I know that I will need a lot of help and guidance as I go about establishing Angel’s Palace, so when great help comes my way, I feel so very happy! :)

Here is the link to Bel Air Home. Feel free to browse through and learn more! 

http://mypages.spiceisle.com/belairhome/

Supporters: Family, Friends

I have many family members behind my back to establish the Palace. All of whom know who I am and have gotten to learn that my greatest aspiration is life is to care for children and provide them with the best life they can possibly obtain.  Also, I have gotten close to many individuals who are now very close friends. I love them very much! One person in particular is Kristine Orme. I love Kristine so dearly and am so thankful for our friendship. I have a lot to say about her, but will do so in a separate blog.

In later blogs, I will share about one of my role model, Estica Frederick , my hero Keri Johnston, and of  course, my best friend whom I shall always love Kerry Modoo.  As you may have noticed, I have not mentioned anyone I met in Hawaii...Of course all of you have played an integral role in my development as a determined woman and I would be sure to share what powerful powerful impact you all have made in my life.

Special thanks to each and everyone of you and for those who are not mentioned, you will be but all for now, I have to get back to completing my assignments which are necessary for me to walk away with my Bachelor in English Literature in 20 days!!!!

Thanks in advance to all those who will become involved!!!

Supporters: My Parents

My Parents! O you are maybe thinking, they are supposed to be dead right? Well you are right, my biological parents are dead, but guess what? I got adopted!!! [So do I have living parents!!] -   o k, maybe its not a big deal from your point of view, but maybe that would change when am done with this post.

Joseph my little Nephew, my Parents and I - We had just returned from the court in California where the Lawyer said, "Congratulations!" words which brought both [shed or withheld] tears, and joy all at once!

First of all, I got a adopted at age twenty-one!! Well, I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone and haven't heard much about anyone who has been adopted at such mature age. It  is not the adoption process or the change of name that make me so excited, it is my parents and my new family. They are truly Heaven-sent! My new family - the Blaisdells are very service oriented.  They live for the service of others.

They love Heavenly Father to the extent that it is impossible for them to not love others. The 'others' I am talking about are not only the people they know, but also people they have never met or spoken with, just persons they have heard about. My parents agreed to sponsor me to college for my entire four years. They did not know me, they have only heard about me from my another of their daughters.  They were not my parents yet, I was eighteen then. They decided to Sponsor me because they love me.  I am very thankful for them. I am so blessed to be a part of my new family!!!

My parents are so excited for me to complete my studies and open the Palace. They will be going to Grenada with me to set up the Palace. They always tell me that they will always be there for me. I receive a great deal of encouragement and support from them to pursue my hearts desire. I adore, honor and love my parents with all my heart! I am also very appreciative of my new siblings and their families. 

More about the sponsorship, and adoption will be posted on a later date, but as you continue to follow on with my blog you will have all your questions answered. Thank you for your time!

Love my Mommy and my Daddy for EVER!!!

Kenny Noel

Meet Kenny Noel! :)

At his company's computer lab

 He is a very important figure in my life at this present time. Kenny and I have known each other for the past four years,  and although we became intimate in 2007, it was not until earlier this year that we began considering each other as future mates.  kenny, now twenty-five  is a fun-loving gentle man who strives to care for those whom he loves.

Kenny  too was born and raised in Grenada. But unlike my family, his family are middle class and were able to care for its members more than my family were able to care for us.  Therefore, Kenny has not lived through the same circumstances as I did.  Nevertheless, he is aware of individuals who has, is or will be going through  similar experiences as myself. Because of this, Kenny is wiling to do all he can to make a difference. He wants to serve others and standing at my side, supporting me and caring for the children in the Palace is a period of his life that he is looking forward to. Ever so often he would say to me "..., I admire what you are going to do, and although I do not have the same level of drive for it as you do,  but I will support you, I will be there with you.".

I am deeply in love with Kenny and am thankful that he is willing to be the "Father Figure" in the Palace and play the role of a Father to the children whom may have lost their Fathers. I am unwilling and very much unable to consider any male as my future spouse if he does not intend to be the Father of my children -[both biological and non-biological]. I know that everyone does not have the same passion as I do, but  part of my dream is to not merely establish the Palace and provide food and clothing to the children; instead, I have always dreamed and I am going to provide genuine parental care to each and every child in the Palace. I know what affection deficiency can do to a child. I know exactly what it feels like to eat and still feel hungry and believe me I know what its like to feel frozen and numb even though sun is shining in its brilliance.  I was a victim of what I call the "yes food, no affection" disease which only equates to severe psychological damage if not taken care of soon enough. It was not until I was age twenty and received professional counseling and therapy that I was able to almost fully recover. The healing process continues and progresses with the passage of time.

I am grateful to all persons who have influenced my  life for good and for those who are willing to assist me in my attempt of influencing others' lives for the best!

Children: And What they mean to me

At the Zoo in Uganda with Sherinah!! (2011)

Baby, Child, Little Angel, all these words and their like bring such great joy into my heart and ultimately my life. I love children, I love them with every inch of love that could be found in my heart, mind and soul. They mean the world to me!! Nothing cheers me up as quickly as the sounds of their laughter, the sight of their running around or even their tiny grips when they are still but a tiny baby.  I love spending time with children because  they make so very happy and they teach me so much in their own small and simple ways.

One child in particular who have touched my life so dearly is ten year old Sherinah. She is most beautiful and so loving that I felt that half of me was taken away when she had to returned to orphanage the night before my flight back to the U.S. I cannot begin to explain how much I love her. I have never loved a child that deeply. I became paranoid with the thought that she is my daughter. I really did believe that she is mine, I felt something deep inside, like some kind of attachment string. I know this sounds weird, it does to me now, but I did feel that. She completed me.  Memories of her still gives me a level of comfort I used to have when I was there with her, but I know that I just have to be with her to feel completed. O my gosh, I just cannot tell you how adorable she is! She speaks three different languages fluently but the thing that always catch me off guard is the fact that she is so  small, and in my mind, she is my Little Princess, but when she speaks! - o boi, I just get slapped in the face with her big words, and well compiled sentences. She speaks as a  fifteen year old - am not even exaggerating.

She is such a well-groomed little girl. Let me share one story about when we went to New York Kitchen in Uganda for desert. So we [my sister Brianne, Rovinsa and Sherina -both from the orphanage, and myself] were all waiting for our ice cream and brownie when Sherina and Rovinsa saw two black girls on the other side eating their food. One of the black girls was  wearing a skirt that was above her knee. Sherinah and Rovinsa were like, is she crazy, why are her legs outside!? The looked down to make sure their legs were covered which of course were,  because they were wearing past- knee- length outfits. They both said to me and Brianne that it is not good to have your legs out because we need to always be modest! Rovinsa is fifteen and Sherinah ten, they already have their standards interwoven in them. Its just part of their personalities to be modest.

Sherinah and I: At the Orphanage - I love her so much!!

                                                                                                                              

I love Sherinah so very much and am looking forward to going back to Uganda in the next couple years. I will love to adopt her as my own. Actually, I know I will! Because its always good to follow your dream, follow your heart. That part of me that was taken away the last time I saw her, will not come back in full until I can have her with me at ALL times! Have her as my very own daughter!  She bought me the silver necklace that am wearing in the picture above. It has a heart pendant and tiny letters which spells "MOM". She told me many times that she would love for me to be her mother and I of course told her a million times that she is everything I have ever wanted!!! She is in deed my Dream Daughter!

One of my most precious, super wonderful moments in Uganda was the first night I was given permission to take Sherinah from the orphage and bring her home with me. Can I tell you I must have been the happiest girl in the world!! When it was night time, my sister and I put down our mattresses so that we can all sleep on the ground. O let me tell you, my sister is madly in love with Rovinsa - so whenever Sherinah is with me, Rovinsa is with my sister Brianne. Its always the four of us. Ok back on tract now, so we watched a movie which I did not think I even watched too much because I was just so happy I had my Princess with me. She laid on my arms and I felt so much like we belonged, I felt such strong connection, it was a maternal bound!! I promise, I know its sounds crazy but it was, she is mine! I just know it!

But besides her, I have a lot of love for children. They are the ones I live for each and every day. Whenever I feel down and feel like I want to give up, I will hear a small voice or an imaginary voice whispering to me "The children are waiting for you Salisha, they need you!" and I believe that. I really do know that! So I will do all it takes to be there for all the children who are waiting patiently for me to be their mother, their friend - one who will always stand at their sides!! I love kids with a PASSION :)