Hi, my name is Najala.

I'm 24 years old and a student midwife at the Midwives College of Utah, currently working toward becoming a Certified Professional Midwife. This summer, I have the opportunity to complete a full-time clinical apprenticeship at Maternidad La Luz, a bilingual, community-rooted birth center in El Paso, Texas.

This placement is one of the important and required steps in my training. It's also one of the only places where I can realistically complete this stage of my education. Over the past few years, I've been balancing full-time work and school, which has made it nearly impossible to participate in an apprenticeship. Clinical placements require you to be on-call and fully available. In Georgia, the only option for CPM students is working with home birth midwives, which requires reliable access to a car—something I haven't had. That limitation, along with others, has delayed my ability to move forward.

Choosing El Paso was a thoughtful and necessary decision. There, I'll be living close to the birth center, with access to transportation and a supportive clinical environment that allows me to focus fully on birthwork. This apprenticeship is also entirely unpaid, which means I will not be earning an income during the time I am there.

I applied for cost-of-living support from my school, but I recently learned that the reimbursement will be much lower than what I was originally told to expect. Because of this, I am turning to my community for help in bridging that financial gap.

My goal is to raise $4,000 to $4,500 to cover the basic costs of living in El Paso from June through August. Rent will be about $900 a month, and I will also need funds for food, transportation, and other essential expenses. I will not be able to work during this time, as the apprenticeship is a full-time commitment.

This moment represents more than just a step toward my personal goals. There is a critical shortage of Black and Brown midwives in this country, especially those trained to provide holistic and culturally grounded care. I am committed to being part of the movement to change that. This apprenticeship will allow me to gain the skills and experience I need to serve families in the ways our communities deserve.

If you are able to support me in any way, it would mean so much. Even sharing this campaign with others would be a gift.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

With love and gratitude,

Najala