NMC and TASA to receive WHO ‘best practice’ award

Seeds of health are being planted in the northern villages of the island.

And for this effort, the Northern Marianas College has been chosen to receive the World Health Organization’s “Healthy Islands Best Practice” award. They are winners for their submission, “TASA Role Models.”

TASA, a non-profit group, stands for the villages of Tanapag, Achugao, San Roque, and As Matuis. Together, the college and TASA aim to reduce childhood obesity in these villages by rebuilding playgrounds, sidewalks, and loaning balls, cones, and jump ropes to families so they can exercise.

Northern Marianas College officials and members of TASA, a non-profit group, have their picture taken after announcing that they will be presented with the World Health Organization’s “best practices” award for their community health outreach program. (Dennis B. Chan)

Health tip sheets and signboard were also shared with village families. The college even got I-Mart, a village store, to include a fruit and vegetable section it never had before.

These efforts were part of funding through NMC’s Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service, specifically their Children’s Healthy Living Program.

In a news briefing yesterday, TASA’s Eileen Babauta credited the CHL program for making them active. “CHL helped us bring all of what was in our minds to reality,” she said.

TASA’s Chailang Palacios said this is “all about helping young children” physically, mentally, and spiritually.

When TASA started back in 1983, she said, there was “taya” coconut water or water bottles for kids to drink; just a lot of beer and soda.

“Now you have more choices,” she said, noting that in the last 30 years, she has seen improvement in the CNMI.

NMC-CREES dean Tim Kock, referring to the CHL’s grant funding, said that grants aren’t sustainable but planting seeds in the communities are. That’s what they did with TASA.

“The seed has been planted in the community. If it’s going to grow, it is going to grow through the community,” Kock said. “Making it part of the community is what makes it sustainable.”

CREES connected I-Mart with local farmers to “build bridges” between stores and farmers that grow produce on a sustainable scale.

Kock said they want to teach farmers of nutritious crops that can still be profitable in the market.

NMC and TASA representatives are en route to Fiji to accept the award at the Pacific Health Ministers Meeting. TASA also will receive $10,000 to continue their efforts.

NMC thanks the Public School System, the Division of Public Health, and I-Mart for their partnerships.