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My name is Akaninyene Ruffin, and I am currently a student midwife at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. I graduate in May of 2025, and I am incredibly excited to have been chosen as one of 10 individuals for REPRA Health's inaugural SEED Exchange specifically designed for midwives and doulas.
This trip has been specifically curated for birth workers from the African diaspora to gain the opportunity to deeply engage with changemakers in Accra, Ghana, while also giving time for cultural immersion and symbiotic learning in efforts to learn more about and improve health outcomes. This 8-day trip includes opportunities for networking with Ghanaian midwives and reproductive health workers, cultural immersion opportunities, and involvement in a community health screening.
As a Nigerian-American who was raised in Montgomery, Alabama, I am honored to come from both traditional healers in Nigeria and grand midwives in Alabama. As such, it is my goal to immerse myself in the traditional birthing practices of the African diaspora that have sustained our people throughout time and space. I see midwifery as a powerful opportunity to engage in liberation work that centers Black knowing and vitality. This is our birthright. Beginning my professional midwifery practice, with the sacred act of Sankofa by returning to the African continent to learn, is truly a dream come true. And I am so thankful that you are willing to support me in this endeavor.
Your support will help cover the program costs, airfare, and travel-related fees.
To learn more about my midwifery journey, read here:
To learn more about the SEED Exchange and REPRA Health:
Organizer
Akaninyene Ruffin
Organizer
Memphis, TN