Reigniting a Path to Connection for 'Wise African Women' throughout the Diaspora

12/13/2019 Comments

Reigniting a Path to Connection for 'Wise African Women' throughout the Diaspora

"The medical system has changed women. We feel like we can control everything and we cannot... I felt connected to 'other protectors' outside of myself and outside the medical system. I felt like I was protected. I was ready. Anything that would go wrong, it would go wrong at home." ~ Moji Yaï

Moji Yaï has a trailblazing spirit. She has literally created a path for women of the African Diaspora to find their way back home, while utilizing ancestral knowledge for our nutritional and womb health.

I was surprised that I had not heard of he "Wise African Women" Birth Education Retreats, but then I realized I had. I had seen photos of a sister who attended and I remembered how attracted I was to the authenticity of the experiences that I had seen her have in Benin. It was everything that I believe that a daughter of the African Diaspora should have when she seeks to reconnect with African healing origins in the land of our ancestors.

She is also hosting a fundraiser for Lina, a midwife who shares traditional birth practices with the participants of the WAW Birth Education Retreats. You can contribute at the link below.

Moji expresses gratitude to: International Center for Traditional Childbearing (Shafia Monroe's vision for pan-African birth workers' conference), Lina Houessinon (Benin, west African wisdom), Divine Birth Wisdom (Southern African American wisdom)

Topics discussed:

Nutrition, ancestral knowledge, and the womb
Seeing the connection to Africa
Learning to connect with Black Americans
Falling in love with birthwork
Traditional midwives as protectors
Acknowledging our "other protectors" in childbirth
Preserving traditional practices throughout the diaspora and at home on the continent
Negative connotations of traditional practices in Africa
Safety for Black women in hospitals
Single storytelling about birth culture
The culture of birth among Black Americans
Creating "family" that can surround you in homebirth
Accepting non-universal concepts on the continent
Divisiveness and non-gendered contexts
Considering what "poverty" is and how it affects birth on the continent
The importance of ownership
Reconnecting with "your people"
Considering Diasporic and Continental African conflict
Finding a connection to the continent and "being invited"

I have so much admiration for the work that Moji Yai is doing. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Listen to the Podcast:

Learn more about the work Moji is doing and find out more about the Wise African Woman Birth Education Retreat:

Website: https://littlebylittlebirth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebylittlebirth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disskoolin_doula/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebylittlebirth/

Wise African Woman Birth Education Retreat:
https://littlebylittlebirth.com/waw/

Home Clinic Renovation for Midwife Lina in Benin:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/home-clinic-renovation-for-midwife-lina-in-benin

Comments

What are YOU waiting for to start learning about how to care for women during the childbearing year? Whether you are considering a career in birthwork, want to learn to help your family and friends or desire to be a resource for your community, "10 THINGS" is your starting place! Learn from from a Black historical perspective... learn from "someone who looks like you"... STOP WAITING... START LEARNING RIGHT NOW!

The voices of Black women have long been censored and/or edited. These conversations with Dr. Doula are an opportunity for Black women to share their truths and experiences in birth and birth culture in their own voices.

In other words, "She said what she said..."

When we help Birth HERstories we are acknowledging the BLACK BIRTH RENAISSANCE that is happening around the world! When we share our stories, practices, or traditions from women of African descent in America, we help preserve Black Birth HERstory. It is our responsibility as descendants of African women who were trafficked to the U.S. to hold their stories and know their practices, so that we are able to continue their tradition of being self-reliant and self-sustaining as communities of Black women.

Dr. Doula

My work is informed by my background – experiences, expertise, exposure, education & environment – as a woman, mother, wife, sister, educator, researcher, scholar, advocate, birth ally and legacy builder. #IAmTheAnswer #WeSaveOurselves
(Please note that the information shared on this blog is for information purposes only. Pregnant women should consult their PCP before following any practices found within the Birth HERstory Series Blog.)

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