Support The Midwife Project Guatemaya
Thankyou so much for supporting The Midwife Project! Our mission is to revive ancestral Maya midwifery practices while respectfully integrating modernday professional midwifery practices. All donations go directly to cover our costs for the ongoing projects that we are working on. So far, we are grateful for all donors that have helped us realize the first Empowerment through Education program, donate 15 midwifery kits to the committed midwives who completed the program, and cover our ongoing monthly costs for team meetings and transportation costs of the midwives.
What we are currently focused on..:
(1) Raising funds to sponsor FREE education for local (aspiring) Mayan midwives from around Guatemala to join the 2nd round of the Empowerment through Education program, starting January 2024 – supporting midwives in supporting their communities. This program respectfully integrates traditional Maya midwifery with professional midwifery practices, upholding an example model for indigenous care. More details via: our website
(2) The build of a temazcal in the FIRST Holistic Birthing Clinic - offering from prenatal- to postpartum holistic health care in Quetzaltenango that is in collaboration with The Midwife Project and run by indigenous midwives (opened in August 2023)
(3) Directing funds to cover costs for midwifery supplies needed in the Holistic Birthing Clinic in Quetzaltenango, as well as a kitchen stove, new linen, etc.
The first round of the Empowerment through Education program that ran from August 2022 till January 2023 was a great success. Once a week, we had classes with about 20 local midwives. The age group of the midwives ranges from 13 to 82 years old, ensuring the continuation of the wisdom of the elder midwives. We look forward to welcome a new group of midwives in January 2024 with your support.
Other goals we are working on with The Midwife Project...
Oral History Collection
Documenting 20 indigenous midwives with the intention of keeping a record of their valuable ancestral wisdom and at the same time learning how to best be of support for them. Formulating in part, from this information log, our 6 month training program for the midwives: Empowerment Through Education. The outcome of these chronicles will be a short film/documentary to honor and share the fascinating stories of these powerful women. This will go back to the midwives and their families and will become available online to be shared.
Community Birthing Center and Holistic Clinic (in more locations around Guatemala)
A health care facility focused on reproductive health offering support to women and families during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond. Integrating the best from modern medicine while uplifting and revaluing ancestral traditional Maya medicine. This birthing center will be run by indigenous midwives, supporting the young generation and honoring the elder midwives.
Thankyou, Maltiox, Gracias
from the midwives around Lake Atitlan
