MAYA MIDWIFERY INTERNATIONAL INC

SINCE 1999, MMI BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SERVED AS AN ADVISORY AND FUNDRAISING BOARD TO ACAM (ASSOCIATION OF MIDWIVES OF THE MAM SPEAKING AREA). WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS GROUP OF 40 MAYA MIDWIVES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THEIR ORGANIZATION WHICH WAS FORMED TO ADDRESS ISSUES SPECIFIC TO INDIGENOUS MIDWIVES AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVED. THESE MIDWIVES HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL GROUPS WHO OFFERED TRAINING COURSES DESIGNED TO INCREASE MIDWIFERY SKILLS AND ADDRESS THE HIGH MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY RATES IN THE AREA, HOWEVER, DESPITE THESE TRAINING SESSIONS, AS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE DEMONSTRABLE IMPROVEMENT IN OUTCOMES. FURTHERMORE, THE MIDWIVES HAD NO VOICE IN THE PROGRAMS BEING OFFERED. THEY DECIDED TO SEEK THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS. THE MODEL WHICH DEVELOPED WAS BASED ON LOCAL CONTROL, LONG TERM COMMITMENT OF N. AMERICAN ADVISORS, DONORS, AND VOLUNTEERS AND CONSTANT RE-EVALUATION OF STRATEGIES.