Sponsor a Birth

$240 sponsors a safe, natural, humanized birth for a woman who cannot afford to pay. Along with your donation, you will receive a photo and a story of the mother and child you support.

Sponsoring a birth is a direct way to help address issues of access to women’s health care in Guatemala.

While women here have the choice of accessing free birthing services through the national hospital system, they are faced with alarmingly high rates of cesarean-sections. It is estimated that upwards of 50% of women are subjected to unnecessary cesarean-sections due to medical convenience at national hospitals. At Manos Abiertas, we offer a wide-range of humanized, natural birthing options allowing the woman to choose which technique is best for her. All births are attended by a trained midwife and each woman is personally coached during the entire birthing process. Moreover, we place great importance on offering comprehensive pre and postnatal services vital for a healthy pregnancy and birth for both mother and child.

$240 covers nine months of prenatal care including prenatal vitamins, necessary tests, ultrasounds, the birth itself, and postnatal care for mother and baby. Most pregnant women, however, come to us at 20+ weeks. While $240 is our recommended donation for sponsoring a birth, each woman's circumstances are different. Therefore, a portion of your donation may go towards our next sponsored birth.