Traditional Midwives in Chiapas

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Mexico | Thursday, November 3, 2011 | 5 photos

These photos were taken deep in the jungle of northern Chiapas, Mexico. The photos tell the story of the traditional midwives who participate in community projects facilitated by a small nonprofit organization called Global Pediatric Alliance (GPA). The midwives live in a region that is Zapatista territory, and come from three different villages: Tila, Petalsingo and Nicholas Bravo. Most of the midwives do not speak Spanish; they speak their indigenous languages. GPA provides traditional midwives with free workshops that focus on the acquisition of life-saving skills during childbirth in order to reduce preventable maternal and infant death. GPA also supports the midwives in community organizing activities. As a volunteer, I accompanied GPA's team in the field, taking pictures of the midwives who participate in their projects, as well as the region in which they work.

I am 27 years old, and during the past year I have become extremely passionate about photography, especially travel photography. I am originally from California, but I have resided in Mexico since 2007 working with nonprofits, traveling and photographing as much as possible. I believe photographing the work of nonprofit organizations is extremely important, as it can provide you with a deeper understanding of all aspects of a particular place. I recently went as a volunteer to Chiapas with Global Pediatric Alliance to photograph their work, and was immediately inspired! The adventure, the beauty, and unknown all instantly hooked me; I love travel and adventure photography; capturing unique aspects of culture, nature and life.