PROGRAMS - The Midwife Project Guatemala

Click HERE to read the full program (2022/2023)

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I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to join the program. I had the calling and dreams of a midwife, but I didn't know where to start. Since I joined the program, my life changed and I started attended the first births in my community.

Ruth Mendoza

My grandmother and mother were both midwives. When they died, I realized that I lost my opportunity to learn with them. I wasn't interested yet, but now the calling is here. When I heard about the project, I was interested to join. I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn with the other midwives of the project.

Monica Cholotío

What I want, is to leave a bit of the seeds of knowledge that I have with the younger generations. So that the wisdom will not get lost. We have to get together as midwives and share, it doesn't matter where we are born. This work that we are doing is very important.

Nana Rosalia Zavala

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Next round 2023/2024

We are in preparation for the second program to start end 2023/beginning 2024 (dates confirmed asap). We open the unique opportunity to a small selection of non-Maya midwives and foreigners to join the training! Their contribution to the program will fund free participation for local midwives, with options to join the 6-months and shorter periods of time. More details will come soon!

Leave us your email below to be updated on the program for 2023/2024 and for upcoming retreats, local and online events.

Empowerment through Education Program

Oral History Collection: Documenting 20 indigenous midwives with the intention of keeping a record of their valuable ancestral wisdom while learning how to best be of support for them.

From this information log was formulated our the first round of a 6-month training program for local midwives: Empowerment through Education. The outcome of these chronicles will be a short documentary to honor and share the fascinating stories of these powerful women.

Oral History Collection

A 6-month training on ancestral Maya medicine integrated with professional midwifery practices

We believe that true empowerment comes from access to education. Through offering this 6-month program we aim to support local midwives both with basic professional midwifery skills while reviving the ancestral wisdom inherent to their roots. At the end of each program the students receive a complete medical midwifery kit.

"In my dreams, the ancestors showed me how to attend births and do the massages. They taught me everything."
- Doña Dominga

Medical Kit Content

Do you have materials to donate for the midwives kits? Please get in touch! We had various donors bring or ship down materials to Guatemala, which are in use with the midwives now. This is what one medical kit contains:

1 fetoscope, 1 box of gloves, 30 sterile surgical gloves, 1 gallon of chlorhexidine, 10 syringes of 5 cc ea, 1 rubber suction bulb, 1 surgical steel scissors (curved), 2 surgical steel scissors (straight), 3 surgical clamp tweezers, stainless steel box for utensils, gauze, cotton, 1 thermometer, 1 sphygmomanometer with stethoscope, 1 fetal doppler, 1 lubricant gel, 10 umbilical plastic clamps, umbilical cord string, 1 hot water bag, 1 infant hand scale, 1 flashlight.

A succesful first round!

The first program ran from August 2022 till January 2023 and was amazing. About 20 midwives from around Guatemala gathered on a weekly basis with ages ranging from 12 to 75 years old, enhancing intergenerational knowledge exchange and cultural preservation, while integrating modernday midwifery skills into their practice. For many women, it was the first time they shared their wisdom, dreams and experiences in a circle of midwives. Not only learning and preserving ancient and modernday skills, but also forming a strong circle of support and sisterhood.

Read below some of the feedback that we received from some of the midwives that joined the program.