Our Story
From early on, I knew that I had to make a difference
Sain Mamau was created to improve Holistic Health among pacific Islanders
During the COVID-19 epidemic, my family and I started Sain Mamau, whose mission is to improve the holistic health of Pacific Islanders. Sain is interpreted as a sailing voyage, and mamau means complete health in mind, body, and spirit. Formed by Pacific Islanders for Pacific Islanders, we believe that every life has value and purpose.
Challenges such as mis/dis information and distrust of western medicine are being met through collaboration with cultural leaders and by encouraging active listening, collaborative problem solving, and culturally based health education. This is just the beginning.
These man made problems are being solved by incorporating culture and faith with creative problem solving, and the understanding that renewed health in mind, body, and spirit, brings renewed life. We are excited about this new life voyage and hope you will join us in this adventure!
Kot epwe afeiochuk. God bless.
Seis Arechy
Growing up in the outer islands of Micronesia, I had very limited access to western healthcare, and saw a doctor only twice before turning 18. This sparse healthcare access affected my family. My mother lost two children during her pregnancies and My Father died when he was 52 due an undiagnosed disease.
At 18, I left the Mortlock islands to attend college in the US. I continued to watch my home island community struggle with the most basic health needs and services. This struggle continues to today, with the Global Health Estimates 2020 reporting a rise in deaths within the Federated States of Micronesia due to non communicable disease from 66% in 2000 to 79% in 2019.
Unfortunately, our plight continues to escalate, with many islanders exhausting financial resources of entire extended families to travel to foreign lands seeking medical assistance. Once there, they become burdens for state resources, struggle to adapt to a different language and culture, and sink further into poverty. Mental illness is on the rise, and our culture is slowly being lost as parents struggle to survive and have no time to pass on our valuable skills, knowledge, and wisdom to the next generation.