Mothers on Tinian will be able to get backup power through a new program from the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, the nonprofit said in a release.
MCCA launched its Solar Generator Loaner Program on Tinian.
This is an initiative rooted in community care that provides portable solar generators to mothers and expecting mothers across the islands, MCCA said.
The program began on July 3 in San Jose, Tinian.
Chamorro-Carolinian culture and language educator and MCCA coordinator Carmen San Nicolas is overseeing the project in Tinian.
Selection for the program is based on existing relationships with mothers that have demonstrated responsibility, care and respect for self, family and community, MCCA said.
The Solar Generator Loaner Program provides clean, reliable backup power to mothers and expecting mothers on Tinian.
This will also expand to the other islands in the coming weeks and months. This family-centered initiative eases the burden of power disruptions on essential needs such as refrigeration for medicine, formula, lighting, and communication, MCCA said.
This program is made possible through the collaborative efforts led by MCCA as well as The Solutions Project, a national organization that accelerates the transition to 100% clean energy and equitable solutions.
Together, these organizations are committed to building local resilience and supporting the well-being of families in the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
This Solar Loaner program is trust based, rooted in the principles of mutual aid and Just Recovery.
- Trust based- a framework rooted in mutual respect, open communication, equity, and transparency.
- Mutual aid- the CHamoru/Chamorro value of inafa'maolek and practice of chenchu'le is mutual aid. It is a collaborative community system where people directly pool and exchange resources, skills, and labor to meet their shared needs. Grounded in solidarity rather than top-down charity, these grassroots networks bypass formal institutions to provide localized, unconditional support.
- Just recovery- a framework that centers the people impacted by disasters and ensures they are the ones leading and making decisions about recovery. It ensures that the most vulnerable peoples are taken care of and not left behind. It asserts that disaster recovery must address underlying inequalities. It prioritizes grassroots community support, public health, workers' rights, and systemic equity.
Former Tinian and Saipan Resident and MCCA co-executive director Moñeka De Oro shares this about the loaner program, “MCCA is run by mothers. Across the islands, most efforts to support people, and protect land and water are led by women. Post-disaster women innately share resources, check in and provide for their wider familial networks. We know that resourcing mothers will cast a wider net of care across the community.
