Mama Ekos

Casa Mama Ekos

Bringing together midwifery knowledge and health professionals to promote healthier pregnancies in the Amazon region

Maués’ 60,000 residents are scattered across a rural and urban landscape. Its villages and communities have inadequate health services, and their isolation and need for boat access, combined with the high cost of gas, exacerbate health risks for pregnant women. As a result, pregnant women may undergo unnecessary cesarean sections, experience unsafe births, and go without important post-partum support.

Mama Ekos works to promote safer, healthier pregnancies and access to knowledge that can prevent illnesses. They bring together knowledge from midwives and health professionals to meet World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and offer humanized support that respects local culture and ancestry.

Mama Ekos provides a community of support through by holding meetings, courses and opportunities to share experiences. Its project aims to build a “Casa Mama Ekos” space where it can better attend pregnant women, their families and communities.

With support from BrazilFoundation, Mama Ekos aims to:

• Build a space using permaculture and local indigenous techniques;
• Cultivate a medicinal community garden;
• Hold educational activities on health and energy.

Impact

Bringing together knowledge from midwives and health professionals
Building a space to serve as a reference for traditional births and natural medicines
Reducing the number of unsafe births in the Amazon region

“We’re open to embracing maternity in its fullness, allowing for sharing the respect for all involved, and togetherness in the community.” – Mama Ekos team