REACHING its second year since its incorporation on July 8, 2005, the Napu Life Foundation has taken the lead in promoting education and prevention of HIV in the CNMI through national, regional, and community partnerships.
The Napu Life Foundation is working diligently in establishing numerous outreach projects that are funded by grants provided by The Office of Minority Health Resource Center. These grants have supported the growth and development of this non-profit organization in fulfilling its mission through innovative programs involving various target groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Community and the Youth of the CNMI.
As part of its mission, Napu Life is also involved in creating, implementing, and monitoring programs that help those who have been affected by the disease. These programs include services such as HIV/AIDS case management, school based HIV/AIDS education, treatment education, peer-to-peer HIV prevention outreach, and so forth.
“There’s more to be done to ensure that our community receives adequate resources and care services in regards to HIV,” said Joaquin T. Sablan, Napu Life President. “Other than providing such services, we believe that stigma still exists in our islands, but we are optimistic that our community will see the importance of changing the current attitudes and behaviors to take a stand against HIV.”
As a member of the Pacific Islands Jurisdiction Aids Action Group (PIJAAG), the Napu Life Foundation became one of the Pacific Regional advocacy group representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands along with CNMI’s Department of Public Health with six other jurisdictions that includes Guam, American Samoa, The Federates States of Micronesia, The Republic of Palau and The Republic of the Marshall Islands in uniting our voices around the shared issues of HIV/AIDS in our island communities.
“We work closely with the Department of Public Health’s HIV and STD Office in providing supportive counseling to HIV clients,” Sablan added. “It’s been a challenging yet rewarding experience in trying to make a difference in our community in advocating for HIV clients.”
“By networking with our federal, regional, and community partners, we will be able to achieve our organizational goals such as providing free testing in our communities, establishing a central office space, and implementing programs that will benefit both the community and the clients.”