Kimberly Durdin is fundraising
Help Train Birthworkers of Color
BIRTHING PEOPLE FOUNDATION
Mission Statement
To empower WOC/POC (women of color/people of color) by providing free and low cost training, education and certification on pregnancy, birth and postpartum including but not limited to,doulas,childbirth educators, lactation consultants,birth assistants and midwives,designed to address the maternal and infant health disparities in communities of color and other marginalized communities around the world.
Did you know that in 2017, mothers of color and their babies suffer the highest rates of maternal & Infant morbidity and mortality? That means that mothers and babies of color are dying at 3-12 x the rate of white women, before, during and after birth. All research on this point to systemic racism, lack of midwifery care options AND lack of midwives & doulas of color as the causes for these shocking disparities.(check out these sites to learn more about this crisis; www.amnestyusa.org,www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.org, www.birthplacelab.org, www.cmqcc.org and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19788975)
Over the years, Allegra Hill, CPM, LM, IBCLC and Kimberly Durdin, IBCLC, Student Midwife have been well aware of these disparities and both desired to use their skills, knowledge, talents and heart to do what they could to create a solution.
After attending the Midwives of North America conference in Long Beach, CA in early November 2017, they were reminded again in session after session, that mothers and babies are dying, and that more midwives and doulas, culturally specific to the groups with the most disparities was THE KEY in lowering infant and maternal mortality rates.
After talking with fellow midwives, researchers, doctors, lactation consultants, doulas their mission became clear. Allegra and Kimberly dreamed up the vision of creating a non-profit educational program, designed to train people of color to become doulas (Birth & Postpartum) Certified Birth Assistants, Childbirth Educators, Breastfeeding Peer Educators and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants and Midwives. Their plan is to open a Center for Birth and Education to be located in South Los Angeles, which will not only be a place to birth, but will provide a clinical training site for students.
As Kimberly completes her education to become a Licensed Midwife, the Center will first focus on EDUCATION, preparing the birthworkers of the future to be ready to meet the increasing demand for their services. Their first step is to create the Non-Profit entity for the educational arm and to find and fund a space to hold trainings.
They would also like to help reduce the primary cesarean rate by utilizing quality childbirth education paired with trained doulas, especially for women birthing in the hospital system. Primary caesarean occurs at higher rates in women of color, and push the complication and mortality rates up substantially.
Several research projects will be invited to study the impact of their efforts, as well as examine existing barriers to culturally congruent and respectful maternity care. Ideally when the time is right, a Birth Center will open on its premises as well.
Kimberly and Allegra are looking to crowdfund their initial start up costs. We know their are many giving people “out there” that would love to help them fund their dream of reducing maternal and infant deaths.Kimberly & Allegra plan to utilize their 501c3 status to seek out additional grants and funding sources around the country and internationally to sustain this program until it is needed no more. As first $1500 of funds obtained are prioritized for set up of 501c3 , Project Motherpath , Inc. has agreed to be a fiscal sponsor in the meantime. That means that all funds donated will be eligible for tax-exempt status!
Here's what we will use your donations for:
$1500 fee to set up non-profit
-Materials fees for training
-Full and partial scholarships to train 35 Birthworkers of Color
-Train 15 childbirth educators of color
-Provide scholarships to IBCLC student candidates of color
-Provide 10 NARM exam fee scholarships to student midwives of color
-Space rental/clinical training site for one year
-Kimberly Durdin & Allegra Hill Doot stipend for 1 year
-Provide $500 stipends for doulas and birthworkers to support 35 marginalized families for 1 year.
The time is NOW to take action! Every donation WILL make a difference! In gratitude for your support in saving the lives of mothers, parents and babies!
Mission Statement
To empower WOC/POC (women of color/people of color) by providing free and low cost training, education and certification on pregnancy, birth and postpartum including but not limited to,doulas,childbirth educators, lactation consultants,birth assistants and midwives,designed to address the maternal and infant health disparities in communities of color and other marginalized communities around the world.
Did you know that in 2017, mothers of color and their babies suffer the highest rates of maternal & Infant morbidity and mortality? That means that mothers and babies of color are dying at 3-12 x the rate of white women, before, during and after birth. All research on this point to systemic racism, lack of midwifery care options AND lack of midwives & doulas of color as the causes for these shocking disparities.(check out these sites to learn more about this crisis; www.amnestyusa.org,www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.org, www.birthplacelab.org, www.cmqcc.org and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19788975)
Over the years, Allegra Hill, CPM, LM, IBCLC and Kimberly Durdin, IBCLC, Student Midwife have been well aware of these disparities and both desired to use their skills, knowledge, talents and heart to do what they could to create a solution.
After attending the Midwives of North America conference in Long Beach, CA in early November 2017, they were reminded again in session after session, that mothers and babies are dying, and that more midwives and doulas, culturally specific to the groups with the most disparities was THE KEY in lowering infant and maternal mortality rates.
After talking with fellow midwives, researchers, doctors, lactation consultants, doulas their mission became clear. Allegra and Kimberly dreamed up the vision of creating a non-profit educational program, designed to train people of color to become doulas (Birth & Postpartum) Certified Birth Assistants, Childbirth Educators, Breastfeeding Peer Educators and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants and Midwives. Their plan is to open a Center for Birth and Education to be located in South Los Angeles, which will not only be a place to birth, but will provide a clinical training site for students.
As Kimberly completes her education to become a Licensed Midwife, the Center will first focus on EDUCATION, preparing the birthworkers of the future to be ready to meet the increasing demand for their services. Their first step is to create the Non-Profit entity for the educational arm and to find and fund a space to hold trainings.
They would also like to help reduce the primary cesarean rate by utilizing quality childbirth education paired with trained doulas, especially for women birthing in the hospital system. Primary caesarean occurs at higher rates in women of color, and push the complication and mortality rates up substantially.
Several research projects will be invited to study the impact of their efforts, as well as examine existing barriers to culturally congruent and respectful maternity care. Ideally when the time is right, a Birth Center will open on its premises as well.
Kimberly and Allegra are looking to crowdfund their initial start up costs. We know their are many giving people “out there” that would love to help them fund their dream of reducing maternal and infant deaths.Kimberly & Allegra plan to utilize their 501c3 status to seek out additional grants and funding sources around the country and internationally to sustain this program until it is needed no more. As first $1500 of funds obtained are prioritized for set up of 501c3 , Project Motherpath , Inc. has agreed to be a fiscal sponsor in the meantime. That means that all funds donated will be eligible for tax-exempt status!
Here's what we will use your donations for:
$1500 fee to set up non-profit
-Materials fees for training
-Full and partial scholarships to train 35 Birthworkers of Color
-Train 15 childbirth educators of color
-Provide scholarships to IBCLC student candidates of color
-Provide 10 NARM exam fee scholarships to student midwives of color
-Space rental/clinical training site for one year
-Kimberly Durdin & Allegra Hill Doot stipend for 1 year
-Provide $500 stipends for doulas and birthworkers to support 35 marginalized families for 1 year.
The time is NOW to take action! Every donation WILL make a difference! In gratitude for your support in saving the lives of mothers, parents and babies!
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