School of Professional Midwifery
Since 1985, CASA has provided training to traditional midwives. In 1994, at the request of these midwives, CASA opened the doors of its community family health clinic and maternity hospital, conceived as a culturally appropriate, quality care alternative. To date, more than 7,000 babies have been born at the CASA maternity. Approximately 70,000 patients have been received during more than 250,000 external consultations.
In 1996, CASA opened Mexico’s first (and still the only) government-recognized school in more than fifty years for the preparation of culturally appropriate, professional midwives at a technical level. Candidates are recruited to the three-year training program from rural areas and preference is given to young women whose mothers or other relatives were traditional midwives. During the last ten years, the CASA midwifery school has graduated students from 13 states of Mexico (as well as a couple of students from other countries such as Guatemala and Germany). Forty-five professional midwifes have concluded their training and graduates have been hired by Mexico’s public health ministry. In August 2008 twenty new students began their studies.
Specific aims
- To empower and train young people, especially women
- To reduce the number of non desired pregnancies, especially among adolescents
- To provide fair access to health, especially to reproductive health
- To provide fair access to education alternatives and employment
- To raise awareness about the inter dependency between human beings and between them and the environment
- To eliminate prejudices, stereotypes y violence through education
Programs that reach some 70,000 a year
- Maternity hospital, opened in 1994 (providing pre and post natal care, birthing services, free HIV tests, free contraceptives, RH cancer screenings, general family health attention)
- Midwifery school: first and still only authorized midwifery school in Mexico
- Child development center (ages: 3 months to 6 years)
- Public Library and Computer Center
- Community Out-Reach youth promoter program
- School-based, sexual and reproductive health education programs
- Youth- run theater group
- Live Radio Programs run by youth
- Violence prevention
Testimonial
“With my last pregnancy they told me that I had to have a C-section because I was carrying twins. But my community midwife told me to come to CASA to see the midwife Antonia. With the clear explanation, courage and confidence that she gave me, I could wait for my natural birth. Happily, I had my natural birth with the help of the CASA midwives.”
How you can help:
$150,000 Build and new school & dormitory
$50,000 Equip and run a teaching clinic for one year
$3,500 Scholarship for a student for one year
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Achievements:
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38 graduates as of 2008
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9 generations of graduates
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Students have come from the states of Chiapas, Veracruz, Querétaro, Distrito Federal, San Luis Potosí, Colima, Guerrero; and from Guatemala and Germany.
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CASA Midwifery School graduates worked with the Secretary of Health in State of San Luis Potosi on a project to reduce maternal mortality rates, the success of which won a national commendation award.
Evaluations
In 2006, the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico (INSP) and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences of the University of California San Francisco evaluated the curriculum of the largest school of medicine, the school of nursing and obstetrics and CASA’s School of Midwifery.
They concluded that CASA’s curriculum prepared their students in 85% of the 233 evaluated variables, recommended by the World Health Organization for a qualified birth attendant, in comparison with 45% for the school of medicine and 54% for the school of nursing.
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