Saipan holds first Mom-and-Me night

Dozens of mothers and daughters showed up to the island’s first Mom-and-Me night organized by the Youth Affairs Office last Saturday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center. (Kimberly A. Bautista)

Several pairs of mothers and their daughters joined the first ever Mom-and-Me night last Saturday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center that fostered not just shared activities but also eye-opening discussions.

Women of all ages, along with their mothers, took part in the island’s first Mom-and-Me Night organized by the Youth Affairs Office—a one-night only event intended to strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.

Throughout the event, mothers and their daughter (or daughter and their mother figures) were offered activities intended to spark conversation between the two, or just allow a mother and daughter to create memories.

Mothers and daughters could choose to produce arts in an arts-and-crafts section, paint and style their nails in the nail art section, doll up in the makeup station, create beautiful head pieces in the mwar making section, take wacky photos in the photo booth, or customize matching charm necklaces or bracelets at the various jewelry making sections.

There were also educational booths set up by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the Division of Youth Services, and the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

According to Youth Affairs Office special assistant Shalaine Borja, the event was facilitated for mothers and daughters to enjoy a night together. Borja said the hope is that if mothers and daughters spend an entire night together, they’ll know more about one another.

Borja said the event was put together also in observance of women’s month.

“We know it’s vital for mothers and daughters to have that kind of relationship where they support each other because girls are the women that shape our society,” she said.

Borja said that if an improvement was to be made for the next year, she would organize it in a way that would include not just mothers and daughters, but mothers and their sons as well.

“If we do have another event…we’ll be opening up not only to daughters but to mothers and all their kids,” she said.

Borja was proud of the event’s turnout because the goal of bringing mothers and their daughters was reached. Borja said she observed that mothers and daughters were thrilled to bond while completing the activities that the event offered.