Happy Mamas and Healthy Babies

Mamas heureuses et bébés en bonne santé

Furaha ya Mamm na Watoto walio na Afya

Umu nne nwere obi uto

Ilmaha Caafimaadka Farxsan ee Mamas

Awọn ọmọ inu ilera Ọmọ Mamas

Join the Mission!

Wholistic Midwifery School is coming to Africa!

South African Women: Apply for a Scholarship to Take Our Doula Training in Pretoria, South Africa

American Birthworkers: You can be part of our  Doula Mission of Service to South Africa 

Be part of the delegation of Doulas and Midwives to provide pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum support and health education

TO LEARN MORE, WATCH THE VIDEO FROM OUR MAY 7TH INFORMATIONAL MEETING

What is Obstetric Violence?

Obstetric violence includes any act that causes harm in the context of pregnancy care. It is a type of violence against females and a violation of human rights.

If you experience obstetric violence, you might feel shamed, ignored, disrespected, helpless or violated.

Any type of healthcare worker could be responsible for obstetric violence, whether they interact with you during pregnancy, childbirth or soon after your baby is born”.

LEARN MORE

We are proud to be part of 

HAPPY MAMA HEALTHY BABY AFRICA ALLIANCE (HMHBAA)

We are excited to announce the launch of this initiative, which expands the work we have done in Los Angeles County, California, USA since 2010. Wholistic  Midwifery School of Southern California (DBA Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance) is a registered non-governmental organization in Ghana, West Africa and South Africa, and is  a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity in California, USA.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

Under the direction of HMHBAA South Africa Country Director Moora Letsoalo, a doula and perinatal health educator, this project provides Doula Training for community perinatal health workers, nurses and midwives in Pretoria, South Africa. We will be providing a doula training and certification in 2026, and will bring a delegation of American birth workers to South Africa to provide labor doula services, peer lactation support, postpartum care, and perinatal health education. Advanced learning opportunities for Midwives and Traditional Birth Attendants will be offered as well.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Post-aparteid South African childbearing women face grave disparities based on their economic status. Disadvantaged, impoverished women have poorer birth outcomes than their wealthier counterparts such as low birth weight, prematurity and maternal mortality. Mothers also struggle to breastfeed successfully without proper instruction.  Sadly, many women experience disrespect and mistreatment during their childbirth experiences, and fathers and professional advocates are very rarely present during births to protect them.from this obstetric violence. “Many mothers have no blankets or clothes to take their babies home in, so we wrap them in pillow cases —the only thing we have available to clothe them in” says Moora Letosoalo, Certified Doula and HMHBAA Country Director of HMHBAA South Africa. “There is a need to focus on training South African women as advocates for other women and also to train nurses and midwives on the impact of disrespect during childbirth” says Letosalo. “We are so excited to launch Happy Mama Healthy Baby Africa Alliance here in South Africa,” she said.

         MESSAGE FROM SOUTH AFRICA COUNTRY DIRECTOR MOORA LETSOALO

5- Gender Equality – We are working to ensure that women receive equal quality of care during their reproductive lifespan that men do.

AMERICAN BIRTH WORKERS: JOIN OUR MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 2026

We are accepting inquiries from interested American birth workers who would like to join our mission of service to South African pregnant women providing childbirth and lactation support and prenatal education in clinics and hospitals in Pretoria, South Africa. Dormitory-style housing,  meals and local transportation will be provided by in-country hosts.

ALIGNMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL MOTHERBABY CHILDBIRTH ORGANIZATION

Our work is aligned with The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO) who has joined forces with the Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) developing a single global initiative to provide guidance and support for safe and respectful maternity care, building upon their previous work and incorporating the most recent evidence and insights into what constitutes optimal maternal and newborn health.

ALIGNMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL CHILDBIRTH INITIATIVE

Launched in 2018, this initiative, The International Childbirth Initiative (ICI): 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care provides clear steps for implementing evidence-based maternity care worldwide, acknowledging the interaction between the MotherBaby dyad, Family and Environment as well as their interactions with health providers and health systems. The ICI also supports the implementation of the 12 steps and self-initiated quality improvement mechanisms that can be used to monitor process, effect and engagement in safe and respectful maternity services.

For more information, see 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care, more information here.

AMERICAN DELEGATION TARGET AUDIENCE

We will be taking a delegation of 4-6 American Birth Workers on our 2026 South Africa trip. We are accepting inquiries from American birth workers who would like to be part of the delegation. Send us an email.

• Birth & Postpartum Doulas
• Midwifery Students
  

  Moora Letsoalo,. Doula & Childbirth Educator, teaching breastfeeding education class to new mothers, Pretoria, South Africa

• Registered Midwives
• Registered Nurses
• Licensed Midwives
• Certified Professional Midwives
• Certified Nurse-Midwives
• Perinatal and Women’s Health Educators
• Public Health Practitioners with a focus on maternal and child health.

Licensed Midwives, Registered Midwives, Certified Nurse-Midwives

We are recruiting clinical preceptors for this project. Please contact us if interested and send a CV or resume or call us at (626) 388-2191 ext. 1.

Participants chosen for delegation agree to:

• Participate in group fundraising efforts for HMHBAA Doula Mission of Service
• Self-finance personal round-trip airfare from local city to Pretoria, South Africa
• Apply for Visa to South Africa and Self-Finance all Fees
• Self-finance and obtain all required travel immunizations
• Have prior experience with international travel; Africa preferred
• Be a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and/or have Midwifery Training or License/Certification/Registry
• Have knowledge and skills to teach perinatal health education (Certified Childbirth Educator & Certified Lactation Educator).
• Ability to conduct prenatal care (Midwife, Midwifery Student or Traditional Birth Attendant) highly desirable.
• Able to provide labor and birth support and postpartum care and work 10-12 hour shifts/24 hours per day

RECEIVE A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND COMMUNITY BIRTH DOULA TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICAN TARGET AUDIENCE

We are offering the opportunity to participate in these training opportunities and learning collaborative to 20 South African women who would like to receive training and support expectant and new mothers and infants in their communities. Contact us to express your interest. Opportunity open to all South African citizens. 

• Mothers and Grandmothers
• Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)
• Student Midwives and Student Nurses
  

  Pregnant mother and her children, Ghana, West Africa

• Community Health Promoters
• Registered Midwives
• Maternity Nurses
• Licensed Midwives

MATERNAL-CHILD HEALTH PROFESSIONALS INVITED TO ATTEND

PROFESSIONAL TARGET AUDIENCE

• Hospital Administrators
• Public Health Administrators
• Grant-Making Organizations
• NGOs
• Ministers of Maternal-Child Health
• Nurse Administrators

ABOUT THE TRAININGS

 The Birth Doula Training and The Postpartum Doula Training will be offered over a period of two months in Pretoria, South Africa.  Each training is 32-hours or 4 days, eight hours per day. We have trained over 400 health and human service workers through these courses. Twenty scholarships will be given to African women who would like to become community Doulas and serve their community. Application and interview is required. Certification is offered through Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance.  After the training, Community Doulas and Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and Perinatal Health Promoters will commit to working  with expectant and new mothers and infants in Pretoria, South Africa providing childbirth and lactation health education labor support and postpartum care to women and infants at regional hospitals and clinics in South Africa. 

DONATE TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT

We are seeking monetary donations for travel expenses, and items bring with us to South Africa during our mission trip. Please contact us to make arrangements to deliver items. Your gift is tax-deductible. Here are some items we need:

• Baby Onsies and Newborn to 6 month baby outfits (new or gently worn)
  

  Pregnant mother and  Doula, Ghana, West Africa

• Baby Pajamas Newborn up to 6 months (gently used or new)
• Swaddling Blankets (store-bought or handmade)
• Baby Hats (Store bought or handmade)
• Nightgowns/Labor Gowns for Mothers (Store Bought or handmade)
• Slippers of all sizes
• Chux  Disposable UnderPads
• Hospital Size Sanitary Pads & Nursing Pads
• Lanolin nipple creme
• Nursing Bras of all sizes (gently used or new)
• Diapers (Cloth) & Diaper Covers (handmade or store bought).
• Baby Slings (handmade or gently used or new).
• Birth Balls/Exercise Balls
• Childbirth Education Supplies (fetal models, charts, DVDs, Client education materials).
• Breastpumps (battery & electric and new  or sanitized disposable parts).
• Massage Oil, Aromatherapy (Lavender, Rose).
• Herbal Remedies for Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Sitz Bath Herbs
• Rebozos/Shawls
• Sterile and Non-Sterile Gloves
• Fetal Doppler, Fetoscopes
• Belly Measuring Tape
• Portable Birthing Tubs (new or used) & Pumps
• Birth Chairs
• Newborn “Fish” Sling Scale

COMMUNITY BIRTH DOULA TRAINING AND HEART AND HANDS POSTPARTUM DOULA TRAINING OFFERED

We will be offering two courses in-person in  Pretoria, South Africa in  2026. Each course is 32-hours, held over four days, 8 hours per day. The Birth Doula Training and The Postpartum Doula Training will be offered for 20 African women who apply for and are chosen to receive scholarships. Certification is offered through Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST TRAININGS

Participants in Doula Training

Doula Track (Prenatal, Antenatal & Postpartum Track):

• Overview of Obstetric Violence & Respectful Maternity Care
•  Impact of Sexual Abuse/Trauma on Pregnancy & Childbirth & Postpartum
• Menstrual Health Awareness
• Fertility Awareness & Conception
• Natural Family Planning & Contraception
• Prevention and treatment of STDs, HIV in Pregnancy
• Working with Mothers with Malaria in Pregnancy
• Working with women who have experienced Female Genital Cutting (female circumcision)
• Infant Mental Health: Reducing Birth Trauma
• Understanding the  Birth Process
• Skills for Supporting Mothers Through Labor (emotional and physical  support skills)
• Supporting Emotional Well-Being During Pregnancy  & Postpartum (Maternal Mental Health)
• Physical Care of Mothers and Newborns
• Newborn Appearance & Behavior
• Newborn Procedures
• Nutrition during Pregnancy and Lactation and Postpartum
• Engaging Fathers in Pregnancy, Childbirth and Postpartum Care of Mothers
• Labor Support Methods and Techniques
• Supporting Breastfeeding and Addressing Breastfeeding Problems
• Supporting waterbirth (Guest Speaker TBA)
• Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga for Mamas and Babies (Taught by Doulas)

Midwife Gives Antenatal Check-Up While Father Looks On

Nursing, Midwifery & Traditional Birth Attendant Track:

• Assessment of Fetal Lie, Position and Weight (Leopold’s Manuevers)
• Estimating and Managing Blood Loss
• Helping Babies Breathe (Neonatal Resuscitation & Pediatric Life Support)
• Management of Shoulder Dystocia
• Management of Retained Placenta
• IV and Venipuncture
• Suturing and Repair of Lacerations
• Fetal Heartrate Auscultation Methods and Interpretation and Protocols

DOULA TRAINING COURSE LEADERS

Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot, MPH, CHES, ICCE, CLE, CBA

Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot is the founder and Executive Director of Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance (HMHBA), and  is the principal course leader and curriculum developer for the organization’s doula trainings and programs. She .is a mother and grandmother, and a  seasoned public health professional, doula and midwife, with 35 years of experience in maternity care. Ms. Hanna-Cheruiyot is an appreniceship-trained midwife and holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Health Education and Promotion/Maternal Child Health from Loma Linda University, and is a Certified Health Education Specialist through NCHEC.  She is also a Certified Childbirth Educator with ICEA, a Certified Birth Assistant  and Postpartum Doula (ALACE), and Certified Lactation Educator (CAPPA). Cordelia has worked as a professional labor companion, monitrice and midwife and perinatal health educator for three decades. Cordelia has worked with several midwives in home and birth center settings  in California and Oregon, USA for three decades.

Ms. Hanna-Cheruiyot worked as a Perinatal Health Educator for the Pasadena Public Health Department Black Infant Health Program from 2002-2012, a project funded by the  California Department of Health Services to reduce premature births, low birth weight and maternal mortality disparities among African-American women and infants. Here,  she established the very first community doula program at a public health department in Los Angeles County and succeeded in lowering African-American preterm births, low birth weight and infant and maternal mortality in Pasadena, California.

From 2015-2019, Cordelia worked with Esperanza Community Housing Corporation’s Community Health Promoter (Promatora de Salud) Program  providing Perinatal Support Specialist training to address perinatal health inequities among childbearing women of color in South Los Angeles, CA,  the area with the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the Los Angeles County region. She proudly trained 80 women and men as Perinatal Support Specialists during this project.

Cordelia has been a Course Leader for over 400 health and human service workers through the perinatal health education courses she developed.

Ms. Hanna-Cheruiyot  is currently the Program Director for Happy Mama Healthy Baby’s Nurturing Roots Postpartum Doula Service for African-American Families, which provides dedicated Certified Postpartum Doula support for Medi-Cal families in Los Angeles County, California. This project is funded by LA Care’s Generating Support for African American Infants and Nurturer’s Program (GAAINS) to ensure African-American mothers and infants survive childbirth and beyond.

She is married to a Ghanian man and together they enjoy an international lifestyle spanning two continents.

Tai Carson and Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot Teaching Doula Training

Tai Carson, BA, CPSS, CPD, CMA

Tai Carson is a retired midwife with 35+ years experience and has attended over 700 births. She is the Program Coordinator of Happy Mama Healthy Baby’s Nurturing Roots Postpartum Doula Service for Black Families, a project funded by LA Care’s Generating Support for African American Infants and Nurturers’ Initiative (GAAINS). Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she comes from a mixed heritage of African-American, Chinese, and North-Eastern European ancestry.

Tai has over three decades of  experience in maternity and newborn care, as well as general healthcare. She currently focuses on postpartum doula support and palliative (end of life) care.

Ms. Carson has a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services from California State University, Los Angeles, along with an Associate’s Certificate in Counseling Psychology. Additionally, she is a Registered Medical Assistant in Washington State, where she worked at a rural primary health clinic.Tai is a certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Perinatal Support Specialist, Certified Childbirth Educator.

From 1999 to 2005, she was the owner/midwife at The Hollywood Birth Center in Los Angeles, where she trained several apprentices and doulas. She has worked in home birth and birth center midwifery practices in Washington, Los Angeles, and Mt. Shasta, California. 

As a perinatal health educator, Tai served as a trainer for Birth Emergency Skills Training (B.E.S.T.) and co-conducted Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance’s Perinatal Support Specialist Training at Esperanza Community Housing Corporation’s Promotora de Salud Program from 2013 to 2015. “As a woman of color, doula, health educator, midwife and a maternal-infant health advocate, I am dedicated to eradicating health disparities among childbearing women of color in my community. I am thrilled to work on programs aimed at improving African-American perinatal health inequities, which is long overdue” says Ms. Carson.

SOUTH AFRICA COUNTRY DIRECTOR

As a father, he is committed to empowering men to be be present for their wives during the maternity care experience and strives to provide more support for young men to become engaged and supportive fathers to their children and their mothers.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

HAPPY MAMA HEALTHY BABY AFRICA ALLIANCE – MAIN OFFICE IN AFRICA

Mr. Kennedy Kattah, Africa Continent Director

Phone/WhatsApp: +233-244-801-521

Mailing Address: PO Box CT 311, Cantonment, Accra, Ghana, West Africa

HAPPY MAMA HEALTHY BABY ALLIANCE – SOUTH AFRICA OFFICE

Mdme. Moora Letsoalo, South Africa Country Director

Phone/WhatsApp: +27-72-146-7117

Pretoria, South Africa

HAPPY MAMA HEALTHY BABY ALLIANCE – OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES, CA USA

Ms. Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot, Executive Director, HMHBAA

Phone: +1 (626) 388-2191 ext. 1

Cell/WhatsApp: +1 (323) 631-7990

Mailing Address: 600 Lincoln Ave. Unit 92495, Pasadena, California 91109 USA

Wholistic Midwifery School of Southern California (DBA Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance), is a non-governmental organization, and a public charity. We are exempt from United States federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Contributions to our organization are tax-deductible under Section 170 of the code. We are qualified to receive tax-deductible requests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the code.

Want to Learn More Before You Donate? Check us out on Guidestar. Our EIN is: 95-445-1418

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