For those interested in traveling to Guatemala, Xela Aid offers Midwifery Internships rich with additional opportunities for cultural exchange. Xela Aid also seeks sponsors for select young women who wish to carry on the midwifery tradition. Read on!

Internships (available in February, 2009)

At least 70 percent of all births in Guatemala are by midwife. It is n ancient tradition, often passed down from mother to daughter across generations. In recent decades, the art form has been augmented by the availability and willingness of traditional midwives and formally schooled health care providers to partner. Come learn alongside Esperanza Ordoniz, traditional Mayan midwife of more than 30 years who can recognize and address the warning signs of complicated pregnancy using a combination of old-world and new-world techniques.

Sample Calendar and Costs (to come November, 2008)

Sponsor a Mayan Midwife in Training

At one time, there were about a dozen midwives in the village of San Martin Chiquito, home of Xela Aid's clinic. Over the years, that number has dwindled to just two; not enough to meet the need for known and trusted midwives in the close-knit community. Amalia Vasquez is a revered midwife and community organizer who's life ambition is to assure that the art form doesn't die out. It is estimated by Amalia and Esperanza, the community's surviving midwives, that three additional local midwives should be in training. Additional communities have also been identified with a training. Additional communities have also been identified with a need. These young women have come forward, and await the opportunity: