Amazonian Indigenous Midwifery & Maternal Health Internship

During my internship, the main project was just living daily life, getting to know the culture and general way of practicing medicine! I also created a study abroad course for traditional medicine, put together an orientation for new volunteers at Amupakin, and created a Go Get Funding page for Amupakin. I appreciated the check-ins — I feel like they always came at the right time when I needed them the most to stay on track. What I learned most was to adapt to the culture and go with the flow! The most impactful part was all of the above. Having to wait around for buses all the time was a challenge, but I chose to use that lag time to practice reading out loud in Spanish from my book — this ended up being one of my most valuable Spanish-learning tools. Having more confidence that I could indeed do more than I thought is something I wish I had leaned into earlier. Looking back, I developed knowledge of traditional medicine, an understanding of global midwifery practices, the ability to maintain a conversation in Spanish, and an understanding of the dynamic of indigenous cultures and Westernization. I feel extremely benefited by my enhanced perspective of medical practices worldwide, along with the interplay of traditional forms of medicine and biomedicine. The experience definitely made me realize how much I love more traditional, organic forms of practicing medicine, and I don't think I fit into more stressful, systematic medical environments. The Amupakin mamas showed me how valuable and honorable it is to be a mother and raise a family — it was encouraging to see that role truly respected. I have learned a lot about balancing an activity-based mindset with a socially based mindset, and also understanding that as long as one maintains the proper focus, whatever work that needs to be completed will be completed. Tranquila. I'm just super grateful to Amazon Learning for helping me to fulfill my longstanding dream of immersion in another culture, learning indigenous medicine! Thank you for connecting me with the Kichwa people and giving me the chance to learn from people full of knowledge to share!

During my internship, I worked with women's health, pre/postnatals, birth attendance, working in the chacra, and community visits. The rhythm, the connection, the care was so loving and welcoming with open arms — I loved it so much. The weekend activities, Amupakin, the culture, the connections — all of it felt so tailored to me and I am so grateful. Megan was awesome — attentive, available, reliable with responses and check-ins. What I'm most proud of is that I gave myself to the people, the land, the experiences. Part of my intention for coming was to give back to those holding and sharing knowledge and be in service — I now see it as the attunement, attention, excitement to learn and fall in love with their visions, gifts and culture, along with creating meaningful connections without words or conversation requiring other ways. Physical discomfort — the heat, the bug bites, not feeling 100% great all the time — was the challenge. I learned to surrender to it and allow it to exist alongside everything instead of becoming a focal point. I learned Spanish before coming — that's what I could have done better! Looking back, I deepened my trust in plant medicine and in my own intuition. Not speaking the language offered a very cool opportunity to learn a different way outside the mind — I found a pathway of observation, intuition, and employing other less-used senses, and allowed answers to find me. These skills may be more important in this type of work. This experience anchored things for me — my love and service to plants and women. It brought to life things I have learned and been taught through theory and has inspired more expression from a place of deeper relationship with birth, plants, the land, and the teachers. It helped me define a clearer sense of my gifts, passions, and what is just creating distractions. Beyond that, I now have an embodied sense and knowing of matriarchal and women-led community — and this experience developed a stronger sense of self-trust and confidence. The relationships that have been developed, nurtured, and cared for — that allow for such an expansive and rich experience — are what I am most grateful for. And sooooo grateful to have been able to go to Momma Adela's home to hug her goodbye. It would have felt incomplete without that. Life changing if one lets it.