Vision and Mission
The identity and tasks of Body, Mind & Spirit have evolved and developed during the past 30 years. Starting as a support group for people living with HIV, BMS has over the years become a key player on Saba in sexual health awareness and advocacy for marginalized groups. As a result of this growth and evolution, three main components can be identified as the core business of BMS:
The vision of Body, Mind & Spirit is:
“To create and support a healthy, inclusive society on Saba, that accepts and understands differences between people and works towards improving and safeguarding the quality of life of everyone.”
Our guiding principles are:
The mission objectives following this are:
To implement public health target campaigns targeting the elimination of stigma and discrimination against PLHIV and other marginalized groups;
Our awareness campaigns are designed to target:
The identity and tasks of Body, Mind & Spirit have evolved and developed during the past 30 years. Starting as a support group for people living with HIV, BMS has over the years become a key player on Saba in sexual health awareness and advocacy for marginalized groups. As a result of this growth and evolution, three main components can be identified as the core business of BMS:
- Human Rights
- Improvement of Quality of Life
- General Health & Wellness
The vision of Body, Mind & Spirit is:
“To create and support a healthy, inclusive society on Saba, that accepts and understands differences between people and works towards improving and safeguarding the quality of life of everyone.”
Our guiding principles are:
- Equality in access to quality, affordable health care is a fundamental human right;
- Every individual, family in our community deserves to be treated with dignity and respect;
- Creating awareness on evidence-based, prevention-focused, person-centered services yields better health outcomes for both the individual and our community;
- Partnerships and collaborations based on mutual trust and benefit contribute value to our work and better serve our community avoiding waste in resource allocation;
- Excellence is best achieved through leadership that values inclusion, diversity, innovation and accountability.
The mission objectives following this are:
- To prevent and control the spread of HIV;
- To contribute to poverty reduction through sustainable prevention of the spread of diseases, while promoting model preventative strategies;
- To allow marginalized groups to live a full productive life with access to facilities and services that allow a better quality of life;
To implement public health target campaigns targeting the elimination of stigma and discrimination against PLHIV and other marginalized groups;
- To build awareness of choices to prevent the spread of STDs, by providing information, running campaigns and assist professionals on the island;
- To assist Health Care providers by increasing their skill and attitudinal approach in treating and counselling PLHIV and at-risk vulnerable groups;
- To train educators and to mainstream educational sexual health and family planning programs and STD awareness in schools;
- To inform public and private sector stakeholders on our island on best practice employment guidelines that assure tolerance and integration of all individuals irrespective of health status or lifestyle choices.
- The promotion of the general wellbeing of the population through informed, balanced lifestyle choices.
Our awareness campaigns are designed to target:
- The resident population of Saba to:
- Eliminate stigma and discrimination;
- Build awareness of choices to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs;
- Promote a community where human rights are respected;
- Create awareness about a high standard quality of life;
- Health Care professionals and providers by increasing their skills and attitudinal approach to treat and council vulnerable groups;
- Educators who will mainstream educational programs on sexual education, HIV/AIDS and STI awareness, discrimination and stigmatization in schools;
- PLHIV and other marginalized groups who will benefit from a greater support and awareness within their communities;
- Human rights activists who will acquire information and techniques;
- Caribbean/global networks to lobby policy makers to improve social-economic conditions for PLHIV, vulnerable groups such as LGBT+, CSW, the disabled and children and young adults (particularly girls and women) to stimulate widespread public campaigns to improve quality of life and to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and address stigma and discrimination across the population; and
- The public and private sector of our island in general.