Roots & Roads: Maya Midwifery Mobile Clinics

From January through June 2026, the Roots & Roads: Maya Midwifery Mobile Clinics project continued bringing essential prenatal care directly to Indigenous Mam communities in Guatemala. Across seven mobile clinic communities, the project provided 479 prenatal consultations, 321 ultrasounds, and 8 referrals to higher-level medical services when additional care was needed. These services help mothers receive care earlier, identify risks sooner, and make informed decisions during pregnancy in a setting where distance, language barriers, and limited access to health facilities often delay care.

Each clinic day is also a space of trust. Women are received by providers who understand the cultural importance of comadronas and the need for care in their maternal language, Maya Mam. For many mothers, the ultrasound is not only a medical service, but also a moment of reassurance: hearing that their baby is growing, understanding warning signs, and knowing when they need follow-up care. Alongside prenatal care, the project has continued providing prenatal vitamins, folic acid, iron, and nutritional supplies to all mothers on a monthly basis.  

Since the last report, the project has also continued strengthening the skills of approximately 50 community comadronas each month through training in midwifery knowledge and practice delivered in Maya Mam. These trainings recognize comadronas as trusted frontline maternal health providers and help ensure that knowledge is shared in a way that is culturally grounded, practical, and accessible. Additionally, these comadronas were provided basic birth kits to support safer pregnancies and births.

One important challenge this year has been that the mobile clinics are no longer able to operate from Ministry of Health spaces. Rather than interrupt services, the project has been working to formalize collaboration with local Indigenous leadership so that community spaces can be borrowed and adapted for clinic days. This transition has required flexibility, patience, and local relationship-building, but it also reflects the heart of the project: care rooted in community, language, and trust.