Families enjoy playing games during the Safe, Aware, Free Empower Jamboree at the Capital Hill softball field on Saturday.
Department of Public Safety officers display some of their weapons and gear.
MORE than 500 community members participated in the Safe, Aware, Free Empower or SAFE Jamboree at the Capital Hill softball field on Saturday, April 16.
The event was initiated by the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence or NMCADSV.
The jamboree featured games, cultural dances, arts and crafts as well as food and refreshments provided by several vendors
For their part, participating community groups, government agencies and programs presented information about their services.
“We come together to highlight the importance of supporting all survivors and ending victim blaming in a family-friendly way,” said 2021 Miss Marianas Savannah Lyn Delos Santos, the sexual assault response team manager of NMCADSV.
She noted that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“Sexual violence is a devastating issue that affects everyone in the CNMI and in the world,” she said. “We can end sexual violence by being brave enough talk about it,” she added.
“We want to give hope and support to victims and survivors of sexual assault; raise public awareness; and empower our community to prevent sexual violence all year long through education and awareness,” she said.
This year’s exhibitors included the Department of Public Safety, the Division of Youth Services- Child Protective Services, PSS Head Start/Early Head Start, the Office of the Attorney General, the CNMI Women’s Association, Tahine’s Creations, Karidat Social Services, CHCC-CGC Suicide Prevention, CHCC-CGC System of Care and Healthy Transitions, the Office of Youth Affairs, the Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services, and Joeten-Kiyu Public Library.
On behalf of NMCADSV, Delos Santos expressed her gratitude to all the participating community members, government agencies and vendors.
Signature event
The “Lip-Sync Battle of the Agencies” is a signature event of SAFE Jamboree.
This year, the Division of Youth Services-Child Protective Services, Karidat Social Services, and the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence competed. Karidat Social Services won the Show Stopper Award while the Division of Youth Services-Child Protective Services won the Work Hard Play Hard Award as well as the $500 cash prize.
“We are starting recruiting for next year’s SAFE Jamboree!” NMCADSV said. “If your agency is interested in competing at next year’s SAFE Jamboree, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (670) 234-3878.”
