In Ecuador, there are 1,913 ancestral midwives who care for pregnant women in rural communities. For women like Jenny, going to the medical clinic means dropping off her child, waiting for a bus for more than 30 minutes.

“We are responsible for the emotional work, accompanying and accompanying a pregnancy and a health center if we see that there is a complication,” says Martha Arotingo, a 39-year-old midwife in San Pedro, Ecuador.