Fanapi Foundation focuses on alleviating poverty in the outer islands of Micronesia by building sustainable, community-based, locally focused opportunities aided by global resources.
Empowerment: Self-empowerment is the most sustainable way to self-enrichment. We believe that if given the tools and resources, we can have the chance to rise out of poverty into self-sufficiency. The island communities must want to help themselves. With that approach, it is more about challenging the people to realize their power to succeed than about our giving them any power that they did not already possess.
Engagement: We are humbled by the immensity of needs in our islands. But we are resolved to work with our island communities to work together to find the resources needed to make a long-lasting difference in our own lives today and the future for our children. For opportunities and resources that simply don’t exist in our islands, we implore the help of our sons and daughters abroad and seek partnership with the global community to provide technical assistance to the island communities, empower women and children towards self-sufficiency, enabling greater access to global resources for economic and social development.
Equity: We are referring to the larger issues of global inequities. Our ancestors lived a peaceful resource-filled lives until we were “discovered” by explorers and colonialists. Today we are caught in the inevitability of change and the need for self-preservation. We want to be part of the technological advancement yet we desire to preserve our cultures. We want our children to succeed in a highly advanced world yet we wish to perpetuate our traditional skills to them for future generations. Our challenge is to believe that we have as much a voice in the world and not simply a people to be pitied.
