My Concrete Village: A Story of Survival & Recovery

At the age of two my father was sent upstate to prison in Hagerstown, Maryland for thirty years.  Now at thirty-six years old, I have overcome the emotional and psychological effects of that experience. Although he did not serve the entire sentence it rocked the world of everyone connected to him. During my years of research about having a parent or parents that are incarcerated, I found that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) deems this to be one of the top ten Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE).  Despite the fact that it is listed as one of the top (ACE)s, it is not widely talked about in society. As an early childcare and primary education professional, I realized that due to my father’s incarceration a bond was never developed between my father and I during those foundational years of development and because of that I grew up fearful and with an insecure attachment style which bled into every area of my life including intimate relationships. I am grateful that we are living in a day where mindfulness and emotional intelligence is a “thing.” Back in the late 80’s & early 90’s it wasn’t. I encourage everyone who reads or buys my story to become a safe place for children and their inner child who has or is experiencing a parent or parents who are incarcerated.  Being an author was never really something I envisioned for myself, but it has been a catalysts in my healing journey. I am now a firm believer that the pain we experience while living this human experience can be turned into PURPOSE & POWER. You owe it to yourself to be GREAT!!!

Irika Ford is known as Sadie Masai, a DMV native who is an ambitious and passionate author on a mission to educate parents and guardians of Children of Incarcerated Parents (C.I.P). She focuses on the importance of supporting a child through their experience and how to provide a safe space emotionally and mentally for their well-being. With seventeen-plus years of early childcare and primary education experience, Sadie Masai has created these safe spaces throughout her career and has witnessed the effects it has on a child’s development. Her goal is to bring awareness of this rampant plague across the entire world to improve the social, emotional, and mental stability of children who feel unseen and unheard while experiencing a parent or parents that are incarcerated! Sadie Masai's first book, My Concrete Village is based on her own experience as a child whose dad was incarcerated during the foundational years of development and how the support of her village helped her to overcome.

Website: www.msmasai.com