The Vision

 

Travel to a land alive with folklore and ancestral wisdom. Soak up the knowledge of Pachamama, and learn from indigenous midwives. The Ecuador Program’s intention is to support indigenous midwives and preserve their sacred knowledge.

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In this quickly globalizing world, these women are not passing their wisdom down to their children and grandchildren in the same fashion in which they learned their skills. Their children are going to school, moving to cities, embracing western medicine, and participating in a growing economy. These parteras are the last of their kind, with extensive and profound knowledge around pregnancy, birth and postpartum. As traveling doulas, we will spend time shadowing these women, diving into their culture, and humbly learning from their experience. Our presence is financially fueling their work, and bringing mindful new awareness to this dying art.

 

This program’s concentration is on postpartum care, herbal medicine, vertical birth, and ceremony. 

There will be two clinical days to serve as doulas, and see how a clinic in Otavalo is successfully blending indigenous traditions and occidental medicine. Birth is unpredictable and it’s impossible to predict if there will be any laboring mothers during your shift. There is still an abundance to learn by being there. This particular clinic has a 90% vaginal birth rate, and 75% of those births are vertical. As doulas, there is so much for us to learn and bring home to our respective communities to better support local families. 

the TUITION

 

$2450

 

Includes: 

All Room & Board

All Meals

Transportation 

Clinic Doula Service 

Spa Treatment

Adventure Activity

Yoga

All Birth Workshops

Doula Preparation Curriculum

 

Does Not Include:

Airfare

Travel Insurance

Souvenirs (make sure you have PLENTY of extra room in your luggage, the region is famous for alpaca blankets)

 

The Mission​

 

Offering an eleven-day Immersive Doula Program to the region of Otavalo in northern Ecuador. This program is  focused on enabling birth professionals from around the world to come together and learn from indigenous midwives, as well as serve the local birthing women and gain hands-on experience during labor and delivery in a foreign setting.

 

The parteras (midwives) we will learn from have learned their skills from the generations that came before them. Their connection to plant medicine, shamanism, ancient divine wisdom, and experienced hands and hearts, are all things we will humbly learn from as we spend time with them in their community.

 

Our group will be divided as we either shadow a partera or serve as doulas in the local hospital. 

 

Unfortunately, the knowledge of these women is dying with them, and it is our intention to help preserve their skills by studying under them and sharing their wisdom. 

 

Additionally, the mission of this trip is to learn about and connect with different cultures, explore the beauty of the region, connect with other women, and deepen our individual doula practices.

 

 Collectively, as doulas from around the world, we will learn more about ourselves, our respective cultures, and gain new insights and tools to bring back to our local communities. The entire objective of our work as doulas is for Women to Serve Women, with respect, compassion, and knowledge.