Dear Friends:
On behalf of Fanapi Foundation’s all-volunteer Advisory Board , our partners and sponsors, I want to welcome you to our website. Thank you for your interest in knowing more about our mission and programs.
The Fanapi Foundation was founded in 2013 to provide technical assistance to the people from the geographically remote outer islands in the Federated States of Micronesia both at home and those struggling to make a living in the United States particularly in Hawaii and Guam. The inspiration came from the Northwest region of Chuuk State, FSM, but the needs of our outer islanders are similar across Micronesia. I was born and raised on these small remote islands in the Western Pacific so I have a personal experience of the immense needs out there in areas of education equity, community development, health care, and others. We founded this non-profit organization with an all-volunteer staff and leadership to do our part in helping them both at home and the diaspora.
Update: March 28, 2017
These past three years have been particularly difficult to lead the Fanapi Foundation. In 2014 I was accepted into the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) for Professional Educational Practice at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. In 2016 I transitioned from serving as director of the Pacific Islander Student Center at UH Hilo to coordinate two federally funded STEM-focused grants at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. This is the final year of studies which is dedicated to writing the dissertation. This is proving to be the most time consuming component of this doctoral journey.
My #1 priority is to finish the doctoral dissertation and graduate strong. So, today, March 28, 2017 I have requested our fiscal sponsor, United Charitable, and will advise the Advisory Board to suspend all activities of the Fanapi Foundation indefinitely until I am ready to re-engage in the work. I believe this is the right decision to support my personal growth to build my capacity to effectively lead the Fanapi Foundation and all my other Pacific-focused social enterprises.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. Until next time, I remain
Gratefully yours,
Vid Raatior
Founder & Program Manager
vid@fanapi.org
