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Dar (La) Luz” or “Giving (The) Light” is the Spanish expression for giving birth – a fitting expression to describe the Jungle Mamas project, having recently completed a groundbreaking intensive two-week training on Safe Childbirth and Home Based Life Saving Skills for future Achuar “Master Trainers”.
Team leaders Margaret Love and Kay Sandberg go on to describe:
"Three years ago when we began this adventure we were told it would not be possible to bring women out of the jungle, away from their family duties, to participate in such a training. Well, out of the jungle they came, along with a significant number of Achuar male participants.
We spent two very intense weeks gathered in the little town of Puyo on the edge of the jungle, addressing such problems as when a baby doesn’t breathe at birth and what to do if a woman bleeds too much after giving birth alone in the jungle or in her sacred garden.
Along with the courageous women who have stepped up to participate we have 6 fabulously dedicated men who have completed the two weeks of this three-week training. In a culture where it is NOT the norm for men to even attend births, I must tell you how thrilling it is to observe men role-playing giving birth! It was nothing short of a miracle and a pure delight to witness the amazement of Mario Wisum, the NAE (National Federation of Achuar) health leader, observing men 'giving birth' and working so intimately with the women in demonstrating the solutions to possible complications. We are thrilled to have Mario’s complete support and enthusiastic vision of continuing and growing the program.
Every participant excelled at the practical, hands-on skills of how to assist babies and mothers before, during and after birth. Each person’s ability to recognize and handle crises improved significantly from the start to the end of the training.
At the end of our time together, after singing an absolutely beautiful Spanish version of 'Auld Lang Syne' that had us all in tears. Participants told us they had never in the whole world met strong women like us. “We used to have lots of death, infections and sickness, and now we know it doesn’t have to be this way”. That in a word is the purpose of this program and of our partnership with the Achuar people— that no mother has to die needlessly in childbirth.
In November we will return to an Achuar community in the rainforest to complete the third week of the training. The focus of the third week is to observe the participants teaching everything they've learned to a representative Achuar target community with no background in the life saving skills.
We'll meet again with key participants and NAE leaders as we explore the challenging task of tailoring our next actions including an implementation and monitoring system that is workable for the Achuar. We’ll be developing surveys and questionnaires in order to gather further community input and collaboration for future heath related programs most desired by the Achuar.
We are eternally grateful to everyone involved that has contributed to putting this 'sea change' in motion. We cherish our shared commitment to safe birthing, sustainable healthcare, and the empowerment of women and Achuar communities.
Love, Margaret Love, Kay Sandberg and the Jungle Mamas Training Team
