Ever since she gave birth to her first child, a son, Rosalia wanted to be a nurse. But with only a sixth-grade education, she was not eligible for nursing school. She became a midwife instead, delivering four or five babies a month for 18 years in the Chayax community of Totonicapán.

“I compare life with the evolution of a seed,” Rosalia says. “You place a seed in the ground at the beginning of April and wait until October for it to evolve. The process is long. And after planting the seed, we have to add fertilizer. If we tend to the seed properly, we get a good product. This is like gestation. A mother has to eat well and to take good care. And at birth, both the mom and the baby are healthy. … It’s a beautiful experience to see them grow. When a human being comes into this world, we hold them in our hands, in our arms. When they take their first breath, we are there to see it.”

Rosalia respects Mayan customs and beliefs, but as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, she incorporates more Christian spirituality into her practice.

“I have four patients right now who are due to give birth,” she says. “When I’m this close to the time of birth, I get a little nervous because I have two lives in my hands. I always pray to God that everything turns out well and that he illuminates me so that I can see any danger that might present itself.”

Though Rosalia had few educational opportunities as a child, she is making up for that by taking advantage of every possible course to strengthen her skills and expand her knowledge. When she realized that her community lacked a pharmacy, for instance, she took a course and opened a fully stocked drug counter in the front room of her family’s home.

Beyond traditional midwife duties, Rosalia is able to treat common illnesses and refer more serious conditions such as high blood pressure to medical professionals.

“Our knowledge, sadly, is not always valued or acknowledged,” she says. “We are constantly learning. And we have a right to be part of the national health network. Often we will accompany a patient to the hospital if they’re having a problem, but we are not allowed to go inside. We have all suffered from this discrimination in hospitals and health centers. We would like for them to be more open – to prioritize health – and to recognize us as well.”

Rosalia’s daughter, Claudia, grew up watching her mom help people feel better.

“I was very inspired,” Claudia says. “Thanks to my mom, I studied physical therapy. Now we complement each other.”

Her proud mother adds: “I have always pushed her to dream big and God will offer you opportunities and show you the way. Maybe she will be able to do all the things that I wasn’t able to do.”