Man’amko and youth bridge

Man’amko people are full of wisdom and rich in life experience. They have biographies full of long and hard work for the CNMI and U.S. economies. Man’amko’s hearts ache for their folks and the Marianas’ present and future. Man’amko feel changes in the air and want to see young generation smart, well educated and business-accurate to make our islands an even better place to live and prosper.

Today’s youth are our future leaders, qualified specialists and masters of their vocations. The man’amko is trying to enhance the intergenerational bridge. Office on Aging, Man’amko Royalty and Man’amko Council, active man’amko keep causing good influence on the schoolgoers in the best meaning of the word.

Man’amko representatives visit the schools and organize historical and cultural heritage classes. These contacts are permanent. Man’amko Royalty, especially its king put regular and useful efforts in this direction. The work is valued by holding surveys based on Man’amko Fair Book, a fusion of efforts of Administration for Native Americans, Office on Aging, and Public School System. Soon, efforts will be made to establish joint plan with some organizations for cultural, historical, educational development.

Now, most of the interactions are between Chamorro and Carolinian man’amko and youth. Soon, Tagalog-speaking man’amko and youth bridge will start. We ask UFO and other organizations for cooperation.

For one good example, Kagman school leaders and teachers are interested in man’amko and youth cooperation. Their students come to man’amko regularly to show their respect to their elders and to learn something positive each time. Man’amko congregation loves to see young among them, they become younger and stronger in their presence. They dance and sing together, spiritual and generational unity strengthens.

Parents are busy at work, not always have the time, means and possibility to spend quality time with their beloveds. So, for the youth, receiving life knowledge from man’amko is a sure and mutually beneficial way. Man’amko feel happy to plant seeds of man’amko into the young souls. They enrich each other highly positively! A win-win situation!

Man’amko happily tell the young their life, love, work, grieves, and their happiest moments of their life. They share with the young their life experience, values worth to stand for, importance of working wisely and business-accurate ways. National pride must be enriched by being at the front line of progress and balanced development. Our islands’ nice climats and location give us leverage. These privileges must be combined with promoting tourism education services, science-applied technological solutions.

Mixing with the elderly, watching them, listening to them, the students form their own vision how to live responsibly and based on their own talents,earned knowledge and smartness. This process develops slowly but is mind expanding for sure. Empty words, unrealistic projects, whistling more than moving forward never really improves our life. To work not necessarily hard but always wisely as possible!

As they grow, the youth will get ready, little by little, mentally and psychologically, to find out their own ways to make working and living honestly and responsibly profitable and prestigious. They will come to learning that reputation and respect from others are earned by good behavior and responsible actions. They will know firmly that by empty words , show-offs, “window-dressings” give no real improvement and prosperity. Their brains will turn hungry for new and highly effective time/ resources saving technologies. They will go for the endless blessings coming from using computerization. They will grow proud of being of the nation of dignity.

In time, some of the young will get spread all over the world. Some will be living and stay deeply rooted in Marianas. No matter when and what kind of challenges life holds for them, the youth will follow these basic wisdom. They will be guided by the common sense learned from parents and man’amko and apply them into their life creatively. They will be grateful to the man’amko! In time, they will pass their knowledge and wisdom earned by their life efforts to their young. It is how the life tree is green forever.

Diego Pua
Man’amko king