Domtila and Antonia are two women with very different life paths. One is approaching old age, the other at the beginning of adulthood. One is originally from Kibera - one of the poorest human settlements on the planet - the other comes from an affluent background in Santiago, Chile. One is a retired teacher and the other a nurse-midwife. They are not united by origin, skin color, network of friends or profession. And yet, since they met almost ten years ago, they have been inseparable.
The biographies of Domtila and Antonia have been intertwined by the same passion and desire: to help other women in vulnerable situations and make the world a place where every life is welcomed as a gift, with respect and care. As a result of this common commitment, the Maisha Foundation was born. Swahili means Life.
The story of "Mama Domtila".
Domtila Ayot, better known as "Mama Domtila", is a force of nature. When she speaks, she exudes an energy that fills her with youthfulness. She becomes passionate and her words and stories come flooding out. We meet her in Nairobi, and with great generosity she shares her memories and opens the doors of her home.
Domtila, I wanted to start by asking you to introduce yourself.
-I come from Kibera, in Nairobi, on slum largest in Kenya and the second largest in Africa. I am 76 years old, have six children and several grandchildren. I worked for years, until my retirement, as a teacher in a Catholic school.
How did your commitment to the defense of nascent life begin?
-One day, walking through my neighborhood, I saw something hanging from a tree, it had a strange shape. Only when I got closer could I see that it was a human fetus. In the back streets of Kibera, it is not uncommon to find aborted fetuses abandoned in the open. I felt challenged, so I went home and wrote my phone number on strips of paper. Then I put them up in different places in the neighborhood, offering my help. This is how the "Edel Quinn Center of Hope" was born, for crisis pregnancies and women's support.
What leads women to opt for a clandestine abortion, with all the risks that this entails?
-These pregnancies are, in many cases, the unwanted fruit of abuse and rape -usually occurring within the family- or of sporadic relations between young people who have not received any sexual education. Many of those who resort to this dangerous practice are only teenagers. As a teacher, I realized that they needed training and help, as many women in Kibera have to face pregnancy without any support and in conditions of extreme poverty. The episodes of pain and hope that I have witnessed over the years are countless.
You started from the "Edel Quinn Center of Hope", with hardly any means.
-In my parish I received extensive training in bioethical issues related to the family, sexuality and the beginning of life. I managed to involve my whole family in this adventure. At first my husband resisted. Later he himself would tell me that in the store we regenerated there were sheets or other products that we could donate. He was a great support for me until he passed away.
Antonia, a midwife without borders
In 2015, Domtila was at a crossroads. She had resigned as president of the pro-life movement in the parish, even though she had once again been unanimously elected. She wanted to continue to help many women, but she found herself without means and in need of arms. At that moment Antonia Villablanca crossed her path.
Antonia, how did you meet Domtila?
-In 2015 I was a nursing student preparing to become a midwife. On a solidarity trip to Kenya from Chile I met Domtila. She had gone as a volunteer with a friend, Fernanda, who is also a nurse midwife, to work in a low-income hospital. There I learned about the terrible conditions in which many women give birth in the African country and I learned about this small local initiative started in Kibera.
What is the situation of motherhood in Kenya?
-In Kenya, only 40 % of births occur inside hospitals. The maternal mortality rate is 377 per 100,000 births, while in developed countries this rate is reduced to 12. In addition, it is the third country in the world with the highest number of teenage mothers, reaching a figure of 21 % of teenage pregnancies in the country. About 13,000 young people drop out of school each year because of an unplanned pregnancy. Clandestine abortion rates are extremely high, reaching 30 abortions for every 100 births. There is now also a boom in surrogate motherhood, as there is no restrictive legislation on the subject, and it is an economic outlet for many women without resources.
As a result of your first trip to Nairobi, the Maisha Foundation was born.
-The meeting with Domtila was the beginning of a collaboration that led to the birth, in 2016, of the Maisha Foundation. Maisha at Swahili means "life". We raised it together with three other Chilean friends: Wenceslao, Sebastián and Julián.
It began as a support network that sought to welcome mothers and their children during pregnancy. Over time, the initiative has been consolidated and now we cover four programs: shelter, health, sexual and emotional education, and sustainability.
There are those who criticize pro-life initiatives, claiming that they care for women only during pregnancy, but after delivery they abandon mothers and babies to their fate....
-Maisha not only accompanies the young women before, but also after childbirth. We are with them during pregnancy and give them tools to become economically sustainable and independent. Right now Domtila lives in a house rented by the foundation, located in a neighborhood near Kibera, where some 11 or 12 young women in the last stage of pregnancy stay with her and remain there until the sixth week after giving birth.
During this time, they receive training in various areas such as health and parenting, micro-entrepreneurship or family economics. When they are well enough, they return to their homes or, if the return is untenable, another accommodation is found for them. Not only are they not abandoned, but the bonds that are created have given rise to beautiful stories of friendship that continue over the years.
