SANKOFA  Birth Ambassadors

Sankofa Birth Ambassador (SBA) Mentoring prepares participants to support women throughout the childbearing year, equipping Sankofa Birth Ambassadors to function as birth and postpartum support, advocate within their communities, and/or provide assistance to family and friends. This mentoring emphasizes connectedness to African cultures and the Black American historical context, while also navigating the challenges of modern birth culture. 

BEFORE THERE WERE DOULAS... there were mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends who supported the mothers in their lives during the their childbearing years. Before we received assistance from others, we did what we needed to do to HELP OURSELVES, to HEAL OURSELVES and to SAVE OURSELVES. But so much has changed and so many of our ways have been abandoned. In times past, when our mothers saw that their daughters were in danger they sought to EDUCATE THEM, EQUIP THEM and PREPARE THEM for the challenges they might face. Women of African descent have become more vulnerable during childbirth than ever before. WE ARE BEING CALLED to care for our daughters, nieces and sisters once again. Let's  restore relationships that can promote intergenerational healing.
​
ARE YOU READY to answer the call?
YOU are who our ancestors prayed for...
YOU are who they hoped would come…
YOU ARE THE ANSWER for our daughters...
YOU ARE THE ANSWER for your sisters...
YOU ARE THE ANSWER for our legacies...
YOU ARE THE ANSWER!​
Let me help you ANSWER THE CALL!

 Only FIVE (5) MENTEE SPACES available at a time!
REGISTER NOW!

About Sankofa Birth Ambassador Mentoring

Mission
The mission of Sankofa Birth Ambassador (SBA) Mentoring is to support women of African descent and diverse cultures in their efforts to know birth, know their place in birth culture, know their options within birth culture, and know their support systems with those who have a track record of supporting diverse women’s autonomy. Participants can also expect to find community and support as they pursue their unique traditions in birth culture.

Objectives
SBA Mentoring is centered around presenting birth work through a lens that honors the triumphs of Black women's contributions since time immemorial and offers insights into ways to navigate the challenges Black women face. Through SBA Mentoring, you will:

• Be introduced to birth so that you understand the basics and can begin to offer support to people in your life 
• Learn how to avoid the pitfalls that many Black women and diverse cultures face when seeking to get involved in birth culture
• Be shown your options to find your place in the “birth world”
• Be pointed in the right direction, toward like minded individuals who will have your best interest in mind​

 What You Get 
•  Four (4) Private, Live Video Mentoring Sessions with Dr. Doula
      Q&A time, professional guidance in birth culture, general encouragement for your journey
*Dr. Doula's Signature Course: 10 THINGS* 
     (Access granted after registration and payment)
•  Four (4) Pre-Recorded Video Sessions

1. Review of Prenatal/Labor/Postpartum Basics
2. Navigating Birth in Modern Culture
3. Deciding How to Serve and Choosing Your Position
4. Finding Your Allies in Birth Culture

•  Resource List and Documents​
•  Interactive Assignments
•  Birthwork Organization Recommendations

After completion of SBA Mentoring Requirements
•  Certificate of Completion
​•  LIFETIME ACCESS to the "Africa to the Diaspora" Birth & Postpartum Project 

 

REGISTER FOR A SBA MENTORING!

STEP 1: Complete Registration Form

Registration form

STEP 2: Pay Fee

Pay Registration Fee

I have been thinking about you… Seriously, I have.

Everytime I receive an email with someone asking me where they should start to learn more about birth… And every message I receive about someone feeling “drawn to birth” and desiring to “answer that call”…. And everytime I connect with a woman by phone who says, “Can I be real with you? I love everybody, but I want to connect with someone who looks like me... or is at least a woman of color.”

I have heard you… I have crafted this mentoring workshop to meet the unique needs that have been expressed to me by countless women of African descent and diverse cultures.

​There is no single path to begin birth work and there is no role that is more noble than another. When you gain knowledge about birth and gather the information you need, you can find the right fit that allows you to answer your call to improve the experiences for your loved ones and other families during the childbearing year.

​I understand the uncertainty because birth culture has changed a lot over the past 50 or 60 years. Back then, if a Black woman felt called to help pregnant women there would have been plenty of women of African descent who could guide her. Since our ancestors were brought to these shores, we have been responsible for the knowledge and skills required to sustain ourselves and our existence in unfavorable environments. 

After recent decades of scarcity and invisibility, women of African descent and diverse cultures are “reclaiming their birth rites” and their place in birth culture. We are becoming involved again. We are losing the fear that had overtaken us through efforts to assimilate into society and understanding the role we must play in healing ourselves and saving ourselves. 

What is one of the major changes that occurred since Black women integrated into the the modern healthcare system? Besides Black women and babies dying at alarming rates, it is the absence of Black women caring for other Black women as they once had.  The same can be said about other cultures. We can do something about that. 

As I have answered the call I heard to "reclaim our birth rites", I hope you will do the same. 

~ Dr. Doula

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I REGISTER for a Sankofa Birth Ambassador (SBA) Mentoring? (See section above.)
STEP 1: Fill out the registration form.
STEP 2: Pay the registration fee.
​Additional information and access to resources will be provided once the registration fee has been paid. Your SBA Mentoring registration is not complete until you PAY THE REGISTRATION FEE.

How long is the mentoring?
Each mentoring workshop involves 4 one hour video mentoring sessions over 4 consecutive weeks. 

Is Sankofa Birth Ambassador Mentoring a doula certification program?
Sankofa Birth Ambassador Mentoring trains and mentors birth workers. The education involved is equivalent to and exceeds what is offered in many certification programs. Participants  receive a Certificate of Completion and recognition as a Sankofa Birth Ambassador.

SBA is answering a bigger need than only training Black doulas. Sankofa Birth Ambassador Mentoring was created EQUIP BLACK WOMEN TO BECOME WHAT WE NEED FOR OURSELVES ONCE AGAIN. In order to change our situation, we need Black women to be what we were when we were excluded from institutions. We ALL need to have knowledge and skills so that we can lose the fear that has taken hold of us about birth. We ALL need to be reacquainted with birth, whether it is chosen as a career or not. 

​Is there a payment plan available? 
Not at this time. The full participation fee is due to begin SBA Mentoring. 

How much time is given to complete the mentoring assignments for full participants?
SBA Mentoring assignments are designed to be completed during the four weeks of the virtual mentoring sessions. The resource mentoring assignments must be completed within a month of the final mentoring session in order to receive the Sankofa Birth Ambassador Certificate of Completion.

Are there any scholarships available for Sankofa Birth Ambassador Mentoring?
There are no scholarships currently available for the SBA Mentoring at this time, however, there are other options for mentoring with Dr. Doula. View opportunities HERE.