Todos Santos, Todos Fuertes, Todos Amables October 22, 2013

After a stormy and cool night with no heat in the Hotel Fran Pab in Santa Eulalia high in the Guatemalan mountains, our team packed up the PCI pickup trucks and headed to Todos Santos about 3 hours away to meet with 60 midwives who serve that community. Our trip there was made memorable by clear skies, incredible scenery through mountains and the Altiplano, a breakfast of eggs, corazon de trigo (cream of wheat) and coffee in a small restaurant in Soloma and our first live broadcast in Guatemala.

We were interviewed by La DJ “Dominga” on Radio 88.5 FM by cell phone, which was translated into Q’anjob’al. Dominga helped us the day previous with translations during the evaluations of the children with disabilities, yet also is a disc jockey and radio personality in Santa Eulalia. She had actually invited us to her radio station, but because of our long journey and desire to not be late for the midwives or “co-madrones” waiting for us, the cell phone interview was the next best option. Although we could not of course hear the interview, since we were speaking to her on the cellular.

Chris is looking for a YouTube version to post on the web. I wonder if she including our “Motes” or nicknames in the broadcast. For your information, El Gall Blanco (Chris – the white rooster) translates as “Saj Mam Kaxlan” in Q’anjob’al, but he prefers the Mam translation of “Sec Se”, for obvious phonetic reasons. There is no equivalent my nickname “El Loro” in Q’anjobal since there are no parrots that high up in Guatemala! Que Lastima!

Once we arrived at Todos Santos through most incredible mountain passes, our truck and “piloto” Josue negotiated the mud roads as we sang Beatles songs and entered the village.

Todos Santos has a remarkable association of midwives, who meet monthly, train their apprentices and even do case reviews of poorer outcomes.

Their community has had no maternal deaths for the past two years and much of this is directly linked to Casa Materna’s support of the midwives for the past 10 years in helping them deliver infants safely in their villages and identify higher risk pregnancies for delivery in the National Maternity Hospital in Huehue 2-3 hours a away.

Lider of the Midwife Association Francisca and Susan

Once we arrived at the education center in Todos Santos, the 60 colorful Co-madrones welcomed us with a communal prayer, chants and singing that was mesmerizing and incredible, we even started quietly chanting along with them. It was truly beautiful that reflected the spiritual devotion of these amazing women.

Bob with midwives in the Postpartum Hemorrhage Workshop

Suzy facilitating the discussion on Eclampsia in pregnancy

We presented the same program as the day previous and the women were organized by the PCI staff into 4 small groups of about 15-20.  Chris, Melissa, Bob and Susan used the Mannequins (named Simone, Estela and Pascal) for workshops in post-partum hemorrhage, medical conditions such as pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, bleeding in pregnancy and birth dystocia. Each group participated actively and the experiences and knowledge of these women were quite exceptional. Many had attended several hundreds to thousands of births. Melissa learned that many “co-madronas” have large families themselves, but when they receive the call (usually on a cell phone!) in the middle of the night to attend a birth, despite rain, cold and wind they walk up mud paths and narrow streets in the pitch dark to assist a woman in labor. We were struck by their skills, their wisdom of thousands of years their traditions and yet still they maintain a desire to learn and improve their abilities.   

Chris foolishing acting out the "Tonto"manuever, to be schooled by "Comadrona Suzy" on the correct way to safely care for a woman with a shoulder dystocia in labor.

McRoberts and a Comadrona to the rescue. Now that is better!

We finished with a medical drama of shoulder dystocia with the “Not Ready for Acting in Mam or Spanish” players and received several cheers and laughs. The session ended after 2 hours with salutations and gifts. We presented the community with one of the Mannequins (we think it was Pascal) so they could use this teaching tool to help train each other and future midwives. We shared lunch with this community of strong and committed women, who clearly demonstrated a passion and professionalism for their chosen vocation.

Presentation of beautiful woven sacthels and our mannequin

We did get a little shopping done in Todos Santos, and then were safely “piloted” back to Huehuetenango by Josue. Bal Maria, the director of Casa Materna invited us to dine with her family and we learned much of the troubles and hardships of Guatemala, and recanted our experiences of the past day. We shared our vision for the future hopes of the friendship between ourselves, Casa Materna and the people of Guatemala…..but more to come on that as it is getting late and the steady rain is lulling us to sleep. Peace.

Shepherding in the Altiplano of Guatemala