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The Day God Took You Home A million times I ve needed you A million times I ve cried If love alone Could have saved you You never would have died In life I loved you dearly In death I love you still In my heart you hold a place No one else can ever fill It broke my heart to lose you But you didn t go alone Part of me went with you The day God took you home Akemi Houssai Balde August 15 1998 January 3 2021

ORDER OF SERVICE OBITUARY Pastor Tim English Officiant August 15 1998 January 3 2021 Selection of Music Dante Hawkins FCBC Prayer of Comfort Psalms 23 Scripture Reading John 3 16 New Testament Psalms 91 Old Testament Poem Mothers Message Reading of the Obituary Todd Beazer Dance of Celebration Kiajah Wiggins Song of Comfort Precious Lord Acknowledgements Tributes and Resolutions Godparents Friends Mentors and Family Song of Celebration To Be Young Gifted And Black Dante Hawkins FCBC Eulogy Pastor Tim English Benediction Reverend Que English Recessional Affectionally known as sweetcakes at birth Akemi Balde was a beautiful healthy twin girl born to the proud parents of Alpha Balde and Kioka Jones at St Luke s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City on August 15 1998 The proud parents were deliberate and patient to select universal names for their twin gifts of life They planned a lavished baby shower and West African ceremony where Akemi and Ali were named Akemi means Bright and Beautiful in Japanese Akemi nickname is Houssai which means twin in Arabic At an early age Akemi demonstrated a love for education attending Harlem Children s Zone Baby College Cathedral Parkway Pre school Harlem Children s Zone GEMS Public School 123 Public School 75 HCZ s Promise Academy Charter School Vanguard High School Vanderhayden Academy and graduated from The Beacon High School on June 26 2020 Akemi had a passion for modern dance and her rhythmic skills were natural Akemi received formal dance training from Alvin Ailey Dance School and Public Uptown Dance Academy at Harlem Hospital Akemi also enjoyed participating in track and field and playing basketball with her twin brother Ali and circle of friends afterschool Akemi was athletic and tall often encouraged to pursuit a career in the WNBA but a modeling career was her true aspiration Akemi was a special child She had the memory of an elephant She knew everyone s birthday and special occasion Her family was always surprised when she would say today is this person s birthday Today is the day this person died In the 5th grade Akemi returned to HCZ s Promise Academy Charter School until the 7th grade Akemi felt at home at HCZ s TRUCE Fitness afterschool program because she would meet up with her twin brother and other friends she missed at the Armory in Harlem Akemi liked to play basketball and track and field She was so tall for her age that everyone expected her to play in the WNBA however Akemi instead had her eyes set on a modeling career One day while eating breakfast with her mom across the street from Fashion Institute of Technology a Professor of Illustration approached her mother and said your daughter s skin is flawless and perfect height for modeling Akemi would often get business cards from various modeling agents asking her to model Her mother was consulted by Bethann Hardison for modeling advice Bethann advised her to go to Wilhelmina Models and introduced her to Tyson Beckford At Middle school Akemi was determined to excel academically and prepare for high school Akemi attended Vanguard High school in the Julia Richmond Educational complex The school was perfect for Akemi because it accommodated her creative skills and allowed her to flourish because it was a supportive environment Akemi enjoyed meeting up with staff and students and exploring New York City Akemi was free as a bird when she performed in front of 250 campers at the YMCA sleepaway camp in upstate New York She attended the YMCA sleepaway camp from nine years old to seventeen years old The YMCA Camp was everything to her she could hike she could sing and she enjoyed dancing in front of 250 people Akemi s favorite foods were rich to the average person because of her grandfathers culinary skills She liked humus sweet chili sauce macaroni and cheese sweet tea pizza cheeseburgers with a special sauce Magnolia s Banana pudding Doritos cheese danishes and barbeque chicken

ORDER OF SERVICE OBITUARY Pastor Tim English Officiant August 15 1998 January 3 2021 Selection of Music Dante Hawkins FCBC Prayer of Comfort Psalms 23 Scripture Reading John 3 16 New Testament Psalms 91 Old Testament Poem Mothers Message Reading of the Obituary Todd Beazer Dance of Celebration Kiajah Wiggins Song of Comfort Precious Lord Acknowledgements Tributes and Resolutions Godparents Friends Mentors and Family Song of Celebration To Be Young Gifted And Black Dante Hawkins FCBC Eulogy Pastor Tim English Benediction Reverend Que English Recessional Affectionally known as sweetcakes at birth Akemi Balde was a beautiful healthy twin girl born to the proud parents of Alpha Balde and Kioka Jones at St Luke s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City on August 15 1998 The proud parents were deliberate and patient to select universal names for their twin gifts of life They planned a lavished baby shower and West African ceremony where Akemi and Ali were named Akemi means Bright and Beautiful in Japanese Akemi nickname is Houssai which means twin in Arabic At an early age Akemi demonstrated a love for education attending Harlem Children s Zone Baby College Cathedral Parkway Pre school Harlem Children s Zone GEMS Public School 123 Public School 75 HCZ s Promise Academy Charter School Vanguard High School Vanderhayden Academy and graduated from The Beacon High School on June 26 2020 Akemi had a passion for modern dance and her rhythmic skills were natural Akemi received formal dance training from Alvin Ailey Dance School and Public Uptown Dance Academy at Harlem Hospital Akemi also enjoyed participating in track and field and playing basketball with her twin brother Ali and circle of friends afterschool Akemi was athletic and tall often encouraged to pursuit a career in the WNBA but a modeling career was her true aspiration Akemi was a special child She had the memory of an elephant She knew everyone s birthday and special occasion Her family was always surprised when she would say today is this person s birthday Today is the day this person died In the 5th grade Akemi returned to HCZ s Promise Academy Charter School until the 7th grade Akemi felt at home at HCZ s TRUCE Fitness afterschool program because she would meet up with her twin brother and other friends she missed at the Armory in Harlem Akemi liked to play basketball and track and field She was so tall for her age that everyone expected her to play in the WNBA however Akemi instead had her eyes set on a modeling career One day while eating breakfast with her mom across the street from Fashion Institute of Technology a Professor of Illustration approached her mother and said your daughter s skin is flawless and perfect height for modeling Akemi would often get business cards from various modeling agents asking her to model Her mother was consulted by Bethann Hardison for modeling advice Bethann advised her to go to Wilhelmina Models and introduced her to Tyson Beckford At Middle school Akemi was determined to excel academically and prepare for high school Akemi attended Vanguard High school in the Julia Richmond Educational complex The school was perfect for Akemi because it accommodated her creative skills and allowed her to flourish because it was a supportive environment Akemi enjoyed meeting up with staff and students and exploring New York City Akemi was free as a bird when she performed in front of 250 campers at the YMCA sleepaway camp in upstate New York She attended the YMCA sleepaway camp from nine years old to seventeen years old The YMCA Camp was everything to her she could hike she could sing and she enjoyed dancing in front of 250 people Akemi s favorite foods were rich to the average person because of her grandfathers culinary skills She liked humus sweet chili sauce macaroni and cheese sweet tea pizza cheeseburgers with a special sauce Magnolia s Banana pudding Doritos cheese danishes and barbeque chicken

Akemi was a vibrant and colorful young lady she would talk for hours enjoyed learning your zodiac sign and always asked her elders What does it all mean Her favorite phrase was mommy you re doing too much She enjoyed talking to her aunty Keisha whom she shared the same birthday with Akemi liked to plan her own events She surprised everyone when she put on her event planning voice asking restaurants about catering pricing and food selections Everyone got to see her skills blossom when she executed her sweet sixteen birthday party at The Olive Garden in Midtown Manhattan Akemi had a special gift of love She called everyone her friend her cousin and her aunty Friends Mentors and Family Remarks Akemi most recent proud accomplishment was graduating from The Beacon High School in New York City She was so proud of receiving her Regents diploma she started calling employers to inquire about working She would say Mommy I want to work and help you pay bills She loved getting her nails done and ordering different colorful wigs to wear She enjoyed watching Youtube videos The Maury Provitch Show and the Steve Wilkos show She found entertaining content for everyone in the family she had a humorous personality always happy and witty Akemi appeared in an American Express commercial featuring Geoffrey Canada danced on stage to the song Happy at the Schomburg Center For Research with the Legacy Leader Project featuring Jackie Joyner Kersee She attended the Double Discovery program World of Money The Finishing Institute YMCA Teens Girl Scout Troop Power of You Teens and Whitney Museum Kids Despite her short time with us Akemi exuberated beauty inside and out Akemi was courage She was loved by many She told her friends about her family she enjoyed baking crossword puzzles dance music basketball track and field modeling and fashion Akemi is survived by her mother Kioka Jones father Alpha Balde twin brother Alassane Balde older brother Alpha Jr Balde older sisters Brittany Balde and Brielle Balde younger sisters Zenab and Hadiatou Balde grandfather William H Jones Uncle Guka Evans Aunts Phyllis Evans Tiana Evans and Stephanie Phillips Wiggins God parents Guka Evans Camilla Jackson Jones Mindy Rene Beazer and Tanza Pettiford A ton of aunties of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc and uncles of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc teachers mentors therapists who have all shaped her lives In addition she has family in New York New Jersey Maryland Atlanta North Carolina and Nashville who will miss her dearly Please accept our most heartfelt sympathies for the loss of your beloved Akemi You and Akemi are in our thoughts and prayers We are honored and blessed to have known Akemi She joined our organization in July 2014 and we developed a bond and close friendship instantly Akemi would light up the room when she walked in with her beautiful and heart warming smile I will miss our long lunch dates conversations and the sweet sound of her voice calling me aunty I will miss her sparkling sense of humor and laughing with her She will always have a special place in my heart and I will carry her spirit with me forever Akemi was the Ultimate PowerGirl who faced many challenges but never gave up Last year we were So Proud of her and we celebrated with her when she earned her high school diploma Akemi was admired by her peers and our team for her thoughtfulness courage kindness and resilience The Power of You Teens will celebrate and honor Akemi s life by creating the Akemi Balde PowerGirl Scholarship This scholarship will be awarded annually to a teen girl who exhibits kindness determination courage resilience and tenacity Akemi s passing is a tremendous loss not only to her family but to everyone who knew her Akemi will continue to be missed but never forgotten Praying God brings you comfort and the courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to hold forever in your heart We Love You AKEMI Kioka and Ali Felicia Gibson Jaycox Founder of the Power of You Teens a Mentoring and Empowerment organization for girls in Harlem It is with a heavy heart that I pen this Kioka is a dear friend of mine In fact she is my SisterFriend and I remain stunned at the loss of her beautiful smart and kind Akemi and I share in her grief I was totally humbled when asked to write this Truly no words can express this moment but through being still and prayer I offer the following words along with my condolences and truly hope that a measure of comfort will be found in them As the family and friends of Akemi mourn their loss of her light and her voice in this world I pray that they also remember to celebrate her for the joy that she was I pray that they remember her smile her laughter all of the little quirks that made her her

Akemi was a vibrant and colorful young lady she would talk for hours enjoyed learning your zodiac sign and always asked her elders What does it all mean Her favorite phrase was mommy you re doing too much She enjoyed talking to her aunty Keisha whom she shared the same birthday with Akemi liked to plan her own events She surprised everyone when she put on her event planning voice asking restaurants about catering pricing and food selections Everyone got to see her skills blossom when she executed her sweet sixteen birthday party at The Olive Garden in Midtown Manhattan Akemi had a special gift of love She called everyone her friend her cousin and her aunty Friends Mentors and Family Remarks Akemi most recent proud accomplishment was graduating from The Beacon High School in New York City She was so proud of receiving her Regents diploma she started calling employers to inquire about working She would say Mommy I want to work and help you pay bills She loved getting her nails done and ordering different colorful wigs to wear She enjoyed watching Youtube videos The Maury Provitch Show and the Steve Wilkos show She found entertaining content for everyone in the family she had a humorous personality always happy and witty Akemi appeared in an American Express commercial featuring Geoffrey Canada danced on stage to the song Happy at the Schomburg Center For Research with the Legacy Leader Project featuring Jackie Joyner Kersee She attended the Double Discovery program World of Money The Finishing Institute YMCA Teens Girl Scout Troop Power of You Teens and Whitney Museum Kids Despite her short time with us Akemi exuberated beauty inside and out Akemi was courage She was loved by many She told her friends about her family she enjoyed baking crossword puzzles dance music basketball track and field modeling and fashion Akemi is survived by her mother Kioka Jones father Alpha Balde twin brother Alassane Balde older brother Alpha Jr Balde older sisters Brittany Balde and Brielle Balde younger sisters Zenab and Hadiatou Balde grandfather William H Jones Uncle Guka Evans Aunts Phyllis Evans Tiana Evans and Stephanie Phillips Wiggins God parents Guka Evans Camilla Jackson Jones Mindy Rene Beazer and Tanza Pettiford A ton of aunties of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc and uncles of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc teachers mentors therapists who have all shaped her lives In addition she has family in New York New Jersey Maryland Atlanta North Carolina and Nashville who will miss her dearly Please accept our most heartfelt sympathies for the loss of your beloved Akemi You and Akemi are in our thoughts and prayers We are honored and blessed to have known Akemi She joined our organization in July 2014 and we developed a bond and close friendship instantly Akemi would light up the room when she walked in with her beautiful and heart warming smile I will miss our long lunch dates conversations and the sweet sound of her voice calling me aunty I will miss her sparkling sense of humor and laughing with her She will always have a special place in my heart and I will carry her spirit with me forever Akemi was the Ultimate PowerGirl who faced many challenges but never gave up Last year we were So Proud of her and we celebrated with her when she earned her high school diploma Akemi was admired by her peers and our team for her thoughtfulness courage kindness and resilience The Power of You Teens will celebrate and honor Akemi s life by creating the Akemi Balde PowerGirl Scholarship This scholarship will be awarded annually to a teen girl who exhibits kindness determination courage resilience and tenacity Akemi s passing is a tremendous loss not only to her family but to everyone who knew her Akemi will continue to be missed but never forgotten Praying God brings you comfort and the courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to hold forever in your heart We Love You AKEMI Kioka and Ali Felicia Gibson Jaycox Founder of the Power of You Teens a Mentoring and Empowerment organization for girls in Harlem It is with a heavy heart that I pen this Kioka is a dear friend of mine In fact she is my SisterFriend and I remain stunned at the loss of her beautiful smart and kind Akemi and I share in her grief I was totally humbled when asked to write this Truly no words can express this moment but through being still and prayer I offer the following words along with my condolences and truly hope that a measure of comfort will be found in them As the family and friends of Akemi mourn their loss of her light and her voice in this world I pray that they also remember to celebrate her for the joy that she was I pray that they remember her smile her laughter all of the little quirks that made her her

Dear Father the Gracious God I pray that she is remembered for how her eyes twinkled when she was in the presence of family I bet that Akemi loved her family every bit that they loved her I pray that she is remembered as the delicate yet strong and resilient young woman who captured the heart of everyone who knew and loved her Each time a story is shared or we are reminded of her she will live on Yes Akemi will live on Not because she will be in our memories but because she is already forever etched in our hearts May God continue to guide Kioka her family and friends through this May His love peace and grace be the strength that embrace and carry us all this time of loss and grief In Jesus name Amen Doreen Lesane Family As long as you remember me I am not dead I m just sleeping Dot Ruffin Akemi Kemi Kemi Kemi A long glass of fine wine bubbly with the effervescence of a young African princess You will always be remembered Uncle Ted Akemi always managed to brighten my day She was sweet funny and everything in between Whenever we spoke she made sure I knew how much she cared about me Akemi was family and she will never be forgotten Venus YMCA camp friend As her mother I made her the advocate she became Kioka Jones her Mother There are times when I get tired start to lose heart for doing good Forgive me Father At times I feel as though my work is not appreciated I want to be lazy or satisfy my selfish agenda Forgive me Father Thank You for allowing Your Holy Spirit to remind me that my doing good is not about me but is about glorifying You May I remain focus on You commit all my works to You for Your glory honor Thank You for reminding me that a good harvest awaits In Jesus Name Amen Galatians 6 9 NASB A few years ago when Kioka asked me to accompany her to meet her daughter I had no idea that I would meet a young Princess who was the total embodiment of her name Akemi Houssai means bright beautiful sensitive leadership and energetic Anyone who knew Princess Akemi is aware that her name was befitting When I met Princess Akemi she was 16 years of age and in a very private yet vulnerable state I was a bit apprehensive about interacting with her because of a transference of feelings We all know how many 16 year old girls can be very unpredictable because their bodies are changing they are beginning to learn about who they are and how their presence affects those in their immediate circle and in the world Their imbalance of the known and unknown plays tricks on them giving girls a false sense of power one moment and then retracting that illusion in the next moment Additionally many 16 year old girls believe that they are all knowing and their self proclaimed omniscience is accompanied by an attitude that is shunned by many adults This was not the case with Princess Akemi She was warm embracing and in fact she was more concerned with how her mother was feeling as a result of her being in such an environment Princess Akemi s primary concern was her mother Since that initial meeting Princess Akemi organically referred to me as auntie On occasion we would call each other just to say hello and in those short and sweet conversations I could always see Princess Akemi s smile shining brightly through the phone In the short period of time that I knew and loved Princess Akemi I can only recall one time when she was not smiling She and I sat down and talked about her feelings and before I knew it it was if nothing had happened Princess Akemi s heart was pure She was a young Princess in search of her true self She was a young Princess who although she was already royalty she hadn t fully embraced that within the depths of her spirit 1 Our society can oftentimes be so cruel to people who don t look like the majority act in the manner in which we think they should behave or possess whatever quality they think we should possess Many of us reject uniqueness due to fear and ignorance We never really know how all of this is affecting a person until it is too late What I charge all of us to do in the spirit of our beloved Princess Akemi is to truly love ourselves first and then share that self love with others It is not until we faithfully love ourselves that we can candidly love others For it is when we do not love ourselves that we will disunite others However genuine self love will lovingly oppose the condemnation from others What I am most certain of right now is this Princess Akemi s spirit is now in a place where she unequivocally knows that she is accepted and welcomed She is smiling down from her throne because Princess Akemi in addition to finally being able to embrace her rightful place in the Kingdom she also is aware without a doubt that her mother twin brother Prince Ali and her grandfather will be provided with a peace from God like never before I have heard that there is no sadness in heaven I totally disagree as I believe that those who are in heaven are saddened because they are looking down on us crying for us We want them to remain here with us when heaven with them is where we really should be Rest well Queen Akemi Houssai Balde your job here is complete While we will all miss you in the flesh Your effervescent spirit has been deposited within Darlene Aiken CEO of Aiken Associates

Dear Father the Gracious God I pray that she is remembered for how her eyes twinkled when she was in the presence of family I bet that Akemi loved her family every bit that they loved her I pray that she is remembered as the delicate yet strong and resilient young woman who captured the heart of everyone who knew and loved her Each time a story is shared or we are reminded of her she will live on Yes Akemi will live on Not because she will be in our memories but because she is already forever etched in our hearts May God continue to guide Kioka her family and friends through this May His love peace and grace be the strength that embrace and carry us all this time of loss and grief In Jesus name Amen Doreen Lesane Family As long as you remember me I am not dead I m just sleeping Dot Ruffin Akemi Kemi Kemi Kemi A long glass of fine wine bubbly with the effervescence of a young African princess You will always be remembered Uncle Ted Akemi always managed to brighten my day She was sweet funny and everything in between Whenever we spoke she made sure I knew how much she cared about me Akemi was family and she will never be forgotten Venus YMCA camp friend As her mother I made her the advocate she became Kioka Jones her Mother There are times when I get tired start to lose heart for doing good Forgive me Father At times I feel as though my work is not appreciated I want to be lazy or satisfy my selfish agenda Forgive me Father Thank You for allowing Your Holy Spirit to remind me that my doing good is not about me but is about glorifying You May I remain focus on You commit all my works to You for Your glory honor Thank You for reminding me that a good harvest awaits In Jesus Name Amen Galatians 6 9 NASB A few years ago when Kioka asked me to accompany her to meet her daughter I had no idea that I would meet a young Princess who was the total embodiment of her name Akemi Houssai means bright beautiful sensitive leadership and energetic Anyone who knew Princess Akemi is aware that her name was befitting When I met Princess Akemi she was 16 years of age and in a very private yet vulnerable state I was a bit apprehensive about interacting with her because of a transference of feelings We all know how many 16 year old girls can be very unpredictable because their bodies are changing they are beginning to learn about who they are and how their presence affects those in their immediate circle and in the world Their imbalance of the known and unknown plays tricks on them giving girls a false sense of power one moment and then retracting that illusion in the next moment Additionally many 16 year old girls believe that they are all knowing and their self proclaimed omniscience is accompanied by an attitude that is shunned by many adults This was not the case with Princess Akemi She was warm embracing and in fact she was more concerned with how her mother was feeling as a result of her being in such an environment Princess Akemi s primary concern was her mother Since that initial meeting Princess Akemi organically referred to me as auntie On occasion we would call each other just to say hello and in those short and sweet conversations I could always see Princess Akemi s smile shining brightly through the phone In the short period of time that I knew and loved Princess Akemi I can only recall one time when she was not smiling She and I sat down and talked about her feelings and before I knew it it was if nothing had happened Princess Akemi s heart was pure She was a young Princess in search of her true self She was a young Princess who although she was already royalty she hadn t fully embraced that within the depths of her spirit 1 Our society can oftentimes be so cruel to people who don t look like the majority act in the manner in which we think they should behave or possess whatever quality they think we should possess Many of us reject uniqueness due to fear and ignorance We never really know how all of this is affecting a person until it is too late What I charge all of us to do in the spirit of our beloved Princess Akemi is to truly love ourselves first and then share that self love with others It is not until we faithfully love ourselves that we can candidly love others For it is when we do not love ourselves that we will disunite others However genuine self love will lovingly oppose the condemnation from others What I am most certain of right now is this Princess Akemi s spirit is now in a place where she unequivocally knows that she is accepted and welcomed She is smiling down from her throne because Princess Akemi in addition to finally being able to embrace her rightful place in the Kingdom she also is aware without a doubt that her mother twin brother Prince Ali and her grandfather will be provided with a peace from God like never before I have heard that there is no sadness in heaven I totally disagree as I believe that those who are in heaven are saddened because they are looking down on us crying for us We want them to remain here with us when heaven with them is where we really should be Rest well Queen Akemi Houssai Balde your job here is complete While we will all miss you in the flesh Your effervescent spirit has been deposited within Darlene Aiken CEO of Aiken Associates

Remembering Akemi I thought of you today Your memory is my keepsake with which I ll never part God has you in his keeping I have you in my heart But that is nothing new I thought about you yesterday and days before that too I think of you in silence I often speak your name Now all I have are memories And your picture in a frame Remember my life Remember my spirit of courage Have no fear I am resting with the Lord

Remembering Akemi I thought of you today Your memory is my keepsake with which I ll never part God has you in his keeping I have you in my heart But that is nothing new I thought about you yesterday and days before that too I think of you in silence I often speak your name Now all I have are memories And your picture in a frame Remember my life Remember my spirit of courage Have no fear I am resting with the Lord

The Day God Took You Home A million times I ve needed you A million times I ve cried If love alone Could have saved you You never would have died In life I loved you dearly In death I love you still In my heart you hold a place No one else can ever fill It broke my heart to lose you But you didn t go alone Part of me went with you The day God took you home Akemi Houssai Balde August 15 1998 January 3 2021