FOR 15 years, the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence has been serving victims and survivors and their families.
Although it is not a direct service provider, NMCADSV has been addressing domestic violence and sexual assault through community outreach efforts, providing training to service providers and responders, nurturing meaningful partnerships with groups or individuals, as well as working to create social change to create a CNMI that is safer for survivors and everyone.
After years in the making, through the passion, dedication, and drive of community members, volunteers, advocates, and countless others to end violence and support survivors, NMCADSV was incorporated on March 21, 2007.
It took time and dedicated effort from service providers, program coordinators, volunteers, faith leaders, and community members who wanted to start a CNMI organization that could help meet the needs of victims and survivors, and the community in different ways. NMCADSV’s founding members believed that a unified message against violence, education for everyone of all ages, a coordinated response to victims, training for responders and providers, victim-focused policies and protocols, and accountability for those committing harm were critical aspects of the movement.
In 2009, NMCADSV opened its first office, with a team of two: Maisie B. Tenorio and Kiki I. Benjamin.
Tenorio currently serves as executive director and Benjamin as associate director.
Since then, NMCADSV has grown to a team of eight, adding communication manager Chaen Mendiola, accountant Ester Sablan, program assistant Alleny T. Tenorio, Sexual Assault Response Team manager Savannah Delos Santos, and program coordinators Rose T. Rios and Grace Velena to the team.
As a team, they hope to move forward, still excited to accomplish more and keep making a difference, noting that it has been a great honor to serve the people of the CNMI in the movement to end violence.
Empower
Over the past 15 years, the NMCADSV has empowered thousands in the CNMI through education, giving many talks, presentations, and workshops covering the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment, and teen dating violence.
Topics of discussion have included healthy relationships, advocacy, healthy sexuality, technology safety, resources in the CNMI, and laws that protect victims and survivors.
Education and awareness can be empowering for everyone and the catalyst for a culture shift.
NMCADSV believes that the effort to speak publicly about these tough issues that affect everyone helped empower others to talk more openly, bravely, and to have the vocabulary to express themselves and stand up for others.
It has spoken with a wide range of community members, including students of all ages, parents, professionals in different fields, the faith-based community, and countless others.
Among the youth, NMCADSV has devoted itself to encouraging the young people to raise their voice and empower themselves through education.
Its very first youth-centered event was a rally in 2008, where youth groups did performances to raise awareness on violence and abuse.
Two years later, NMCADSV brought the violence and abuse education straight to the classroom with its very first classroom presentation, delivered to a small group of students at Marianas High School.
Now, NMCADSV regularly handles requests for school presentations on a variety of topics, and has even offered creative outlets for the youth to express themselves, including through the “Teen Poetry Slam” to raise awareness on teen dating violence, the “Project PROM” workshops to help high school juniors and seniors become peer advocates against sexual violence, and the recent “Know Your Worth” art, essay, and spoken word competition that allowed more middle and high school students creatively raise awareness on teen dating violence.
Describing this overall experience as “surreal,” NMCADSV said that it has been an honor to watch the youth in the CNMI speak out against the violence that affects them and everyone in our community.
It is likewise grateful to schools and clubs for inviting them to speak to the youth about issues that affect them, and for encouraging the youth to volunteer in NMCADSV’s community outreach.
While NMCADSV introduces the youth to look at these topics – such as relationship abuse and supporting friends who are survivors – in a different way, NMCADSV also learns much as well from the youth’s fresh perspectives and genuine desire to figure out how to make the world a better place.
This community impact is something that NMCADSV strives to maintain and increase as it moves forward.
Advocate
Leaving no room for tolerating domestic or sexual violence, NMCADSV has spoken up for victims, survivors, and their families even at the legislative level, assisting with the passage of legislation, including the Domestic Violence Leave Act of 2014, which prevents employers from penalizing victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, teen dating violence, and stalking who need to take time to seek help, relief, and justice.
Although their roles may not be social workers or direct service providers, NMCADSV is still all about advocating for victims and survivors in the CNMI.
Victims and survivors commonly worry about losing their jobs, wages, and a way to support themselves and their families, so they would choose not to take their abusers to court, filing restraining orders, or meeting with their case worker or a counselor.
According to Workplaces Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence, many survivors cite economic insecurity as one of the main reasons why they stayed with their abuser.
A source of income like continued employment helps survivors and their families.
NMCADSV strongly believes that victims and survivors should not be penalized for seeking the help that they need on their journey to find healing.
“Advocacy is not about saving people but helping people find that they have the strength to find safety and healing,” said NMCADSV board chairperson Reina C. Camacho.
This, she added, is what being “a Bridge of Light for victims and survivors” means.
NMCADSV has also helped CNMI nurses become Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or SANE.
An assessment done in 2008 revealed that victims of sexual assault had to wait for hours at the emergency room to be seen by a medical professional to do a proper examination and evidence collection.
Being sexually assaulted is extremely traumatic without the addition of waiting in a semi-public space for hours to be seen by nurses or doctors who usually had no prior training to conduct the exam, let alone the knowledge they now have about how to better understand victims and survivors.
Staff at NMCADSV worked hard to bring the first SANE training for CNMI nurses in 2011 with the Criminal Justice Planning Agency and work with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation to make changes that included dedicated, private rooms for these exams.
NMCADSV also helped write grants to support stipends for nurses who are called to do exams and rape kits as needed, and funding for continuing education for nurses.
The last training event was in 2017 that included nurses and doctors serving Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
Stipends and continuing education remain along with a protocol to recruit and train new nurses to be SANEs.
It has been a journey, but NMCADSV is grateful to help victims and survivors of sexual violence by making sure they receive the proper care by nurses in the CNMI who are trained SANEs.
Celebrate
The biggest lesson they’ve learned over these last 15 years? Meeting survivors and the communities where they are at and going from there.
The pain and trauma of domestic violence and sexual assault are universal, but each person is unique.
It is the hope of NMCADSV that survivors will feel believed, seen, and supported.
Determined to meet its mission in promoting, nourishing, and sustaining a collective movement to end violence in the Northern Mariana Islands, NMCADSV hopes to grow in membership and, in the next decade, attain a level of financial sustainability and member support for greater advocacy.
More importantly, it hopes that in the next decade, its community will be fully invested in this collective movement, its membership supported in their advocacy efforts, and domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors empowered to share their stories and seek healing.
As such, in its 15th year, NMCADSV continues to celebrate survivors, volunteers, partners, and community for joining in this collective movement to rid the Commonwealth of domestic and sexual violence.
From just an idea in 2005 to being the eight-member team it is today, NMCADSV has always been inspired and driven by survivors.
NMCADSV celebrates being “survivor strong,” inspired by countless survivors who have recognized their own strength and resilience, even amid difficult or traumatic situations.
“Their strength inspires us to keep engaging our community to better understand survivors and that this leads to ways to create the violence-free CNMI we all deserve. After 15 years, we now know more than ever that this is possible. Survivors are often misunderstood by many people, including friends, family, and even those who serve our community. Our work has always been focused on what survivors in the CNMI need in order to be better supported and protected.”
NMCADSV was dreamed up by a group of volunteers, and as such, would be remiss if it did not recognize its countless volunteers.
“We are so grateful that many people have expressed interest in doing something to raise awareness and show support for victims and survivors, and have given their time and talent to help make our activities and events what they are today. From helping at big events to speaking at public events to leading the development of programs, we are thankful for the contributions and awesomeness of our volunteers.”
NMCADSV would also like to thank their family and friends for their love and support in the movement to end violence.
“From leading the chanting during awareness walks to putting up flyers to singing at Jamboree to waiting for us to finish presenting on a weeknight, we give the biggest shout out to our kids, spouses, partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, aunties, uncles, cousins, friends, and friends of friends for all that you do and for always believing in us.”
NMCADSV also celebrates its various partners and service providers who have provided their expertise to help them serve victims, survivors, and their families throughout the CNMI.
“It is often hard to get anywhere without at least a little bit of support so we are grateful for the partnerships and collaborations with the many programs, organizations, and businesses in the CNMI and the States. They help victims and survivors by being someone they can lean on, by being a guide through community resources and the criminal justice system, and by being someone who will stand with them through both the tears and the triumphs. We have learned so much through your expertise and knowledge of the people you serve including people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, people of different faiths, those struggling with mental health, and so much more. We know that anyone can experience violence and abuse regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, faith, socioeconomic status, or ability so learning what you do to serve different groups has only helped us improve and keep improving our ability to help all survivors.”
NMCADSV would especially like to thank the Tan Siu Lin Foundation for making the annual “Bridge of Light Award” possible since 2013.
The “Bridge of Light Award” is given to an individual who demonstrates exemplary service to victims and survivors and the movement to end violence in the CNMI, the opportunity for self-care or training.
NMCADSV would also like to recognize IT&E, Bridge Capital, LLC; Delta Airlines, and Salt & Barber for gifts and services provided to the award recipient.
“We celebrate the light. While there is still much that needs to be done to help victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, we learned that it is okay to celebrate the light in the darkness, or the positive differences we have still made over the years. It is sometimes paralyzing for people who realize how much needs to be done to address the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault but that is why we need to celebrate moments of making a positive difference to keep going. From training nurses to giving school presentations to hiring shelter workers to helping students with prom and advocacy to helping businesses revamp their policies, it has been a long journey with more waves ahead and we look forward, still, to the light.”
NMCADSV invites the community to join them in “Celebrating the Light” and 15 years of serving the movement to end violence in the CNMI by attending or donating to its upcoming 15th Anniversary Brunch Fundraiser on Saturday, March 26 at the Pacific Islands Club’s “The Magellan.”
Tickets may be purchased at the NMCADSV Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, or through volunteers and staff.
For more information, contact NMCADSV at (670) 234-3878 or email info@EndViolenceNMI.org
“We celebrate that we have grown and are still growing. We celebrate proudly serving our Commonwealth. While our main office is in Saipan, we work to foster partnerships and connections in order to learn about and meet the needs of all the islands including Rota and Tinian. We recognize the uniqueness and different needs of each island community, and have focused more on empowering and supporting members of each island community with their efforts to effectively reach out, educate, and enrich their own communities. Across our islands, we all share the same resilience and optimism that has gotten us all through many challenges from supertyphoons to a pandemic. We celebrate this and proudly serving the people of the CNMI.”
What an incredible 15 years it has been.
Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Associate Director Kiki I. Benjamin registers and hands out t-shirts to community members joining one of the first Walks Against Sexual Violence in April 2010.
From left, long-time NMCADSV volunteer and board member Eulalia V. Arriola, Associate Director Kiki I. Benjamin, and Executive Director Maisie B. Tenorio pose for a photo before the 2010 Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclamation Signing Ceremony
A CNMI youth group performs at the 2013 Day of Unity event, which is part of NMCADSV’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month campaign.
U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Rep. Edmund Villagomez, and Judge Kenneth Govendo lead the 2014 Men’s Walk Against Domestic Violence wearing skirts in solidarity with female victims and survivors.
High school juniors and seniors pose in prom attire they received as part of NMCADSV’s Project PROM workshop. The aim of the workshop is to educate prom eligible high school students about being a peer advocate against sexual violence and assist them with attire and other needs for prom.
Student volunteers Eloise Lopez and Maria Theresa Dalusong emcee the 2015 Teen Poetry Slam competition at Naked Fish to raise awareness on teen dating violence.
Northern Marianas College students, faculty, and staff take part in their campus Silent Walk Against Domestic Violence in October 2016.
Retired police detective Tom Tremblay presents at a training on trauma informed services for CNMI law enforcement, advocates, and first responders.
NMCADSV Executive Director Maisie B. Tenorio talks about domestic violence and how to support victims and survivors at the 2018 Women’s Month Conference at American Memorial Park.
Community members light candles at the 2016 Candlelight Vigil for Domestic Violence Victims to remember and honor the eight CNMI women who passed away due to domestic violence.
Advocates and first responders pose for a photo with KKMP Radio Show hosts after a guest appearance during Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2017.
Community members in Tinian prepare lights and candles before the Walk Against Domestic Violence at the Tinian Baseball Field in 2018.
Staff from the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Public Safety, and the Ayuda Network perform an empowering lip sync performance at 2018 S.A.F.E. Jamboree event, which is part of NMCADSV’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign.
Rota advocates, first responders, and community members take part in a Roadside Waving Against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in 2019.
Community members pose for a photo at the 2020 Driving Out Domestic Violence Motorcade displaying the 2020 Domestic Violence Awareness Month theme for the CNMI, H.O.P.E. (Heal. Overcome. Protect. Empower.)
