CELEBRATING cultural diversity and showcasing local talents, Project Liffang in Garapan attracted crowds during the 2022 Pacific Mini Games.
“Liffang” in Carolinian means to give.
Carolinian Affairs Office Project Coordinator Agatha Ketebengang said the project was designed to empower participating local entrepreneurs and their families to be self-sufficient, especially during one of the busiest times of the year for the CNMI.
“Our aim was to have an activity or activities on-island for our guests, our athletes from the Pacific,” she added. “It’s important to have events like this so that we can preserve our culture.”
Among the participating local entrepreneurs was Vanessa Williams of Bwiibs Merchandise.
She said her small business hopes to open up shop in the future, offering island-style t-shirts branded with their logo.
“Bwiibs,” she said, is an affectionate term in Carolinian for brother or sister.
“Right now, we haven’t opened up shop yet. We’re still working on it. This is our first time to join [Project Liffang]. It’s our way of letting the word out to the people. For now, we’re only selling shirts. Maybe later on, we’ll start selling more than just shirts,” said Williams.
“We hope that from this, we will get a lot of customers and attract more islanders. Not only islanders, but even people outside of the island, like a lot of the Pacific Mini Games athletes.”
Athletes and visitors, she said, dropped by and got a taste of what this small business — and many others — had to offer.
“It was really nice. They came and they looked around. I guess they also really liked the music because they were really dancing,” said Williams with a smile.
The CAO, in collaboration with the United Carolinians Association, the Commonwealth Women’s Association and the Refaluwasch Advisory Council, promoted this project to provide recreation for the visiting athletes who were here for the 2022 Pacific Mini Games.
For more information about Project Liffang, call (670) 234-6383/4/5 or email outreach.cao@gmail.com
Bwiibs, a local vendor, offers island-style t-shirts at Project Liffang in Garapan during the 2022 Pacific Mini Games.