Island Girl Power renews Håfa Adai Pledge

Island Girl Power director Juanita Blaz, along with staff, volunteers, and members took the Håfa Adai Pledge, which was administered by Guam Visitors Bureau vice president Bobby Alvarez and GVB staff on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, at GVB’s Holiday Illumination Park in Tumon. (GVB)

The Guam Visitors Bureau celebrated a very festive Håfa Adai Pledge ceremony last Friday, Jan. 17, with Island Girl Power at GVB’s Holiday Illumination Park in Tumon. As the holiday season and the park came to a close, GVB hosted the event to continue pushing awareness for island pride initiatives planned for the New Year.

“[The] Håfa Adai means many things—friendship, love, and caring. When they are combined with selfless service for the benefit of our community, such as that of island Girl Power, it is an excellent example of what it means to share the Håfa Adai spirit,” said GVB vice president Bobby Alvarez. “Island Girl Power demonstrates that in their everyday work with our island’s youth.”

Island Girl Power aims to create a deeper appreciation and understanding of Guam’s culture and natural environment through the Håfa Adai Pledge. Juanita Blaz, Island Girl Power’s director, said, “IGP is one of the original groups to take the Håfa Adai Pledge. I found it very important for us to embrace what GVB and community organizations are doing to recognize our culture—one of acceptance and of loving diversity. Our volunteers here today are the cooking instructors, art teachers, self-defense instructors, visiting Navy doctors and nurses who teach about hygiene and more. We all contribute something to IGP so the girls have a wonderful experience. We love the Håfa Adai Pledge, because it really embodies that and what we are as local people.”

GVB also celebrated the final weekend of the Holiday Illumination display with an afternoon of interactive and cultural activities open to the community and visitors. The event’s activities included face painting and body arts, mwar-making, and painting hosted by Håfa Adai Pledge partners Picasso Nenis, Fundforte, and Moñeka De Oro.

Island Girl Power is a local prevention program that offers positive activities and role models for young girls and their families. IGP was founded in 2002 by the Ayuda Foundation. The program’s mission is to decrease the occurrence of teen pregnancy, suicide, substance abuse and sexual abuse, while empowering young females to make healthy lifestyle choices for themselves and the island community.

About

The Håfa Adai Pledge is the cornerstone of the Guam Visitors Bureau’s local community branding program. More than 940 private businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, organizations and local school children have taken the pledge, representing more than 44,000 individuals locally and abroad. (PR)