Orphans from Haiti

Today we have a special guest. Children’s author, Nicole Weaver, has started a blog,

http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com to help families who adopt children from Haiti. Weaver moved to America from Haiti as a child herself, and still has friends and family there.

Please tell us about your blog and why you started it.

I started my blog because I want to be able to help the American parents adopting Haitian orphans.

What was it like for you as a child in Haiti?

My father was an architect, life was not bad. I lived near the beach in a house that my build. I eventually moved to New York, to live with my mother.

Was it difficult for you to adjust to living in America? What was the hardest thing about it?

Yes and no, I had to get used to the cold, and had to learn a new language. The hardest thing about coming to America was the constant teasing my classmates subjected me to. I knew very little English; consequently I was teased a lot and was called “French Toast”

What do you think will be most difficult for the children who come to America from Haiti after the earthquake?

Adjusting to a new climate and language, new way of eating, being totally lost not understanding fully what happened to their parents.

What do you suggest adoptive parents do right away to help them adapt?

I suggest for them to hook up with other Haitians in their communities. Here in Colorado we have a very strong Haitian community. We have monthly functions, where everyone brings a Haitian dish to share. There are a few Americans who have adopted Haitian children; we support them in every way possible. That is precisely the reason I started my blog, to make myself available for these wonderful people with so much compassion.

If American kids have Haitian orphans in their schools or neighborhoods, how can they help?

Be friendly to them, help them learn English; accept them for who they are.

Haitian Support from the Depths of Despair

From the depths of despair one woman has risen out of her own grief for her perished relatives in the Haiti earthquake. Knowing her strong held faith in praying for those who died will help the spiritual side of this disaster, Nicole Weaver, has turned her helplessness into action.

Fluent in Creole, French, Spanish, and English Ms. Weaver is reaching out to American families who are contemplating adoption of Haitian orphans. Knowing the vast differences of American and Haitian cultures first hand being a Haitian American herself, Weaver is offering support through her blog http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com as a one stop resource to make the transition of a Haitian adoption go smoothly as possible.

American families are offered detailed information on:

• Planning and preparing Haitian meals, including where to purchase Haitian foods.

• Lessons on how to learn Creole and French.

• Suggested books on the grieving process of losing a parent/parents/siblings.

• Free translation services.

Additional services for those living in the Denver, Colorado Metropolitan area, Weaver is offering in-person food preparation and babysitting services to assist further in making an adoption transition a success. If you don’t reside in the Denver Metropolitan area, Weaver is offering consultation via telephone, email, or Skype.

Visit http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com today for more information and to be in contact with Nicole Weaver directly.

(I've mentioned some things about how children deal with traumatic experiences on my other blog, http://janetanncollins.blogspot.com and hope that information may be helpful to adoptive parents.)