Celebrating Midwives: Honoring Community Care
This week, we witnessed the quiet power and profound impact of traditional midwives—parteras—as we traveled to two of our communities. The experiences we shared reaffirmed something we already knew: midwives are not just caregivers—they are the heart of maternal health in our communities.
Care Rooted in Respect
In Playa Lorenzo, we joined Dayrinia, a maternal health trainer with the Manchichi program, a collaborative midwife training program. She called on us to follow up on a pregnancy case flagged by a local midwife. The partera’s concern for her patient’s nutritional health set the tone for a collaborative and respectful consultation. Together, we provided an ultrasound, prenatal vitamins, and essential supplies. The clinical insight of our team merged seamlessly with the partera’s intimate knowledge of the patient’s life—a powerful example of integrated care grounded in trust and cultural understanding.
Learning from Midwife-Educators
In Playa Verde, we joined a dynamic training session led by Hermelinda, another Manchichi trainer. The room was filled with midwives practicing patient case presentations, building their clinical voice and confidence. It wasn’t just a class—it was a celebration of the growing leadership of traditional midwives. Watching these women claim space as both healers and educators was a moving lesson in empowerment and grassroots health innovation.
Home Visits, Ceremony, and Emergency Response
This past week, we also celebrated newly trained parteras receiving their equipment kits—marking their essential role in health care.After the ceremony, we responded to a labor emergency. As we coordinated hospital transfer, her midwife, Catalina, never left her side. Her steady presence and authority demonstrated the empowered, front line role midwives play in urgent care, from community to hospital, fully part of the team every step of the way.
Today and everyday, we honor every partera whose hands guide new life into the world with strength, wisdom, and love. Thank you for standing with us in this work.