Meet Sara-Lou Morgan-Walker | Non-Profit Leader , Women Advocate & Motivational Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara-Lou Morgan-Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara-Lou, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
My name is Sara-Lou Angelique Morgan-Walker (it means: an Angelic Princess who walked from the Sea). I was born one beautiful September morning in the 1980’s , and by Monday morning I was being given away to a stranger. Yes you heard right. I am an orphan, who was later adopted by a strange woman my mother handed me to while she slid away to the restroom with no intention of ever returning.

I grew up in a state of lack, limited exposure and a small circle of friends who I was constantly having to change because my adopted mother was always on the move. I don’t remember ever watching television unless I visited a friend’s house, or had the luxury of opening the fridge during the Summer and contemplated my next meal . My Summers were lonely, either spent in the hills of St. Mary, my adopted mother’s childhood home or locked in our suburban home in the city playing dolly house with old boxes or Chinese skip with the sparse furniture in our one bedroom house.

I spent years of high school struggling academically and financially. For the first couple of years I was on academic probation with my teachers being guided to assist me in improving my grades just to matriculate to each class the following year. I had limited books, hardly any school uniform, no lunch money, and certainly not enough resources for school trips and class activities or gatherings. You can very well imagine how much I felt isolated, lonely and how this affected my self-esteem, my self-worth and of course my inability to harness my potential and purpose.

All through those years of financial lack, low self worth and academic struggles my adopted mother who did her very best to provide for us while sheltering me from prostitution, sexual exploitation and just messing up my life by getting pregnant or becoming promiscuous did the only thing she was really good at; she prayed. She prayed for me continuously, for my dreams, for my protection, for provisions and for life’s purpose. Along the journey, I met other women and men who inspired me, poured into me and redirected my mind from the pit of darkness and hopelessness. I met women who invested in my schooling, who gave me cute little girly items, care packages and nice little outfits and bags, books and journals that made me feel worthwhile; that slowly and steadily change my perception of myself and the world around me. Eventually, I became a praying woman, I became a young lady of Faith (the substance of things not seen but those hoped for), I became that adult girl who cried and felt the disappointment of unmet expectations but “got up and brush myself off” and went after my dreams. I became that nonprofit Executive, Mentor and Women’s advocate who understood the value of a positive seed planted in the life of an impressionable, vulnerable, young and tender young woman. I understood how easy it was to change the trajectory of a young girls life simply by offering her a hug, a listening ear, by allowing her to transition through various stages of life knowing that she is never alone, and even when friends and family forsake, there is one constant friend in Jesus Christ who through His promises can keep you grounded and when you fall, there is room to get back up again.

The woman I am today, is a combination of my past lived experiences, the dreams I desired of fulfilling and the purpose that God has planted inside of me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Angelic Ladies Society Ltd is a registered nonprofit known for its work among young adult women and girls across the island of Jamaica. We work with girls who have experienced some level of trauma (sexual, emotional, physical), girls who require a little help and guidance in achieving career or academic goals, girls who have been abandoned and neglected by their parents, girls removed from their homes and families and place in State Care facilities because of various situations leading to neglect, abuse and risk of safety – girls in need of care, love, protection and guidance. Our organization provides mentorship: aligning girls with women in corporate Jamaica, who are open to sharing their stories of resilience and success, women who are influential and making impact in their fields of work, women who are committed to the transformation of lives and leaving a legacy of change.

Our organization was birth almost 12 years ago in the halls of an extension high school in Jamaica. As a part-time secondary classroom teacher, girls would often approach me sharing stories of their struggles at home; from difficulties with doing homework because of their home environment (lots of guns shots or just constant arguments and tension among the tenants living in the ‘yaad’, or street dances to the wee hours of the morning, or witnessing domestic violence first-hand between their mom and ‘a step-father’) or just a lack of finances to be able to attend school regularly, or even participate in school events or outings. I tried to help as much as I could but later came to realize that I needed help, and as such I spent the Summer of 2009, thinking of a strategic, organized and impactful way I could really help these girls, while ensuring that influential and successful women of Corporate Jamaica got an opportunity to pour into their lives as well. The Angelic Ladies Society was birth the September of that year, and saw us coordinating a workshop entitled “Beauty: from the inside out” where we first addressed the issues of self-worth and reminded the girls of their internal and external beauty. We got a few manufacturing companies such as Carimed, Avon Jamaica and Colgate to send their brand managers to share products, show us how to use them and left us with gifts. This was our very first successful venture, and since then we have not stopped using every opportunity to pour into the lives of teenage girls in Jamaica, reminding them of their worth and fueling them to achieve their God-given purpose.

We have not always had it easy. About 4 years after launching, the organization went on a long hiatus. We had reached our brink financially. At the time we were not registered, and so we were highly dependent on donations from the public, high school fundraisers such as tag drive and walkathons, and in-kind donations from companies. Our focus had also shifted, because as the Executive Director I was now pursuing career goals, I had financially hit rock bottom, I was unemployed for years and I was struggling emotionally. I had nothing to pour out into my organization and by extension the girls who needed me. I had somewhat lost sight of my Vision, my own goals and aspirations, I was bottled down with unmet expectations, countless major disappointments and heartache. I could not truly be the face of the Angelic Ladies Society, when I took needed an Angel.

In 2017, God sent a woman to reactivate my purpose. She had a nonprofit organization working inside the only juvenile and remand centre in Jamaica (South Camp Rehabilitation Remand and Juvenile Centre) and needed a partner who would be able to use the performing arts, (music, dance or drama) for the purposes of rehabilitation. I jumped at the idea. I sat down and wrote a proposal and who would have known that I spent 2.5 years in that juvenile centre not only facilitating dance, drumming and drama, but inviting women of corporate Jamaica, inspirational speakers and authors, nonprofit leaders and successful business women, and women of God to share their stories of triumph, their stories of pivoting life’s various challenges, of hitting rock bottom, attempting suicide, self-mutilation and drinking and how God, or a good Samaritan helped to turn the trajectory of their lives around. Since the closing of our contract in 2019, I have spent the last 3 years making my rounds to the 11 Girls Homes across the island of Jamaica, doing the same work; bringing words of encouragement, hope and inspiration: reminding them of the love of God and the promises He has declared over their lives. Each day bring its own challenging, and in this global world were everything from anything such as a pandemic, war, fluctuation can affect the success and growth of a nonprofit organization, we continue to be a beacon of Hope to girls in our country.

We endeavor to provide healing, restoration and an alternative choice for living. We are determined to reducing the recidivism rate and shifting generational cycles of abuse, neglect, poverty and hopelessness, through the work we do. And of course, because we interact with girls, young women in their early stage of self-development, forming their identity and at the budding stage of their self-esteem, we make it our point of duty to ensure that each program, each visit, each intervention is marked by our distribution of personal care packages or survival kits, as such we are ALWAYS collecting Toiletries, journals, art supplies, self-care tokens, and girly items. It is our way of improving her self-worth and challenging the recurring negative thoughts in her head.

Feel free to donate at any time, follow us on IG at als_angelsoasis or contact us at angelicladiessociety@gmail.com to coordinate shipping, donation drop off/collection in the US or Jamaica. Our next project – June/July 2022 (1 week of Spiritual Enrichment week at the Granville Childcare Facility in Trelawny, Jamaica. The Home has 54 girls)

A.N.G.E.L.I.C – Actively Nurturing Girls through Education Legislation Internship and Charity…

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
“I live where you vacation” is such a famous quote associated with Caribbean nationals, simply because we have the luxury of living in the tropics where most people plan and save to visit annually or on special occasions like honeymoons, birthdays, spring break, anniversaries or retirement.

Let me first say it was little hard planning this trip for us because there is so much I would have wanted you to see but let’s see what we can cramp into one week. I love scenic views, and you can not come to Jamaica, and I do not give you the opportunity to explore the vast mountainous terrain of the Blue Mountain. It will take us a little while for us to get to the peak so I suggest we travel through New Castle, where we can stop for a sumptuous meal at Blues Brews, its a little café on the edges of the mountain terrain, take photos of the different species of flora and fauna, perhaps capture Jamaica’s National bird in flight, and stroll off to splash in the cascade of the water falls. That should keep us occupied for most of the afternoon, and we can nap at the cottages in Hollywell, while we wait to take our midnight climb to the peak to watch the sun break through the clouds at dawn over Kingston city.

As we trek down, our minds are set on heading to the North Coast to climb one of Jamaica’s most exhilarating and breathtaking waterfalls, Dunn’s River Falls but before we jet off, let me reward you for making it to the top of the Blue Mountain Peak with a nice cold globally awarded Devon House ice-cream, ranked as the 3rd best Ice Cream in the world, and a hot delicious spicy bricked-oven baked chicken patty from Devon House Pastries. We could take our very own Greyhound called Knutsford Express to relieve us from driving but I want you to have the privilege of unplanned pit stops and random photoshoots as we drive along the North Coast highway.

Funny you should ask where are we staying? We are spending the rest of our fabulous week at the Sandals Royal Plantation which is just a short 9 mins from Dunn’s River Falls, in the vicinity of Mystic Mountains and Dolphins Cove. But before we head to relaxation, let’s enjoy the cool, refreshing water at Dunn’s River, and see who can make it to the top first and if you have enough energy to do it twice.

We could end the night at our all-inclusive hotel with swim up bar and a total of about 6 restaurants, but I would not be Sara, if I did not take you to the Johncrow Tavern in Ochi town. It’s famous for its grilled beef burgers, delicious fries and awesome cocktails and not to mention the amazing, warm and friendly customer service. Once we have had my famous mudslide then we can relax at the pool at Sandals laughing about you slipping on the falls and screaming for Jesus all while using your hands and your bottom to climb instead of your feet.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As an orphan, who was adopted by a stranger, it goes without saying that I have quite a number of persons who deserve the recognition in my life for having played a role in shaping my dreams and inspiring me to become the best version of myself.

In most recent years, I will definitely have to recognize my adopted mother. If I will be honest, as a teenager and a young adult, I didn’t always think that way, and we didn’t always have the best relationship, but as I got older and more mature both emotionally and spiritually, I began to recognize her heart and her intentions in the things she have always been doing for me, and I would really love to dedicate a portion of this shout-out to the woman, who stopped her life, paused her dreams, and took in a newborn baby that was biologically not her own, and poured everything she had in her. I thank her for the countless prayers she prayed over my life.

Outside of my mom, I would say more older mature women who became mentors, Sunday School teachers at my childhood church, counselors, high school teachers, university lecturers, close friends, and sometimes even strangers. If we say books, along with the stories in the Old Testament of the Bible, I would definitely say books like “Think Big and Kick Ass”, “Circle Maker by Mark Batterson”, The Crushing by TD Jakes and the Art of War, played a role in shaping my mindset, building my resilience and teaching me how to ‘Faith it’.

Instagram: als_angelsoasis

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slmw/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PryncessSarai

Facebook: The Angelic Ladies Society (organization’s page) or Angelique’ Kazuke Reklaw (personal page)

Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWBLxK6Ra7IXuEOEte7J23dYeyQbIIBGf

Other: Links to Interviews, Media Articles that will give you greater insight into the person I am, and the work that I do. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/all-woman/the-extraordinary-sara-lou-morgan-walker/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ICXkpZ0p4 https://www.facebook.com/JaNewsNetwork/videos/180903256548664/