I knew as soon as I became pregnant that I had to go for pre-natal check-ups, to make sure both myself and my baby were alright. There’s a good health clinic in Tena, the provincial capital, but it’s so far away from where I live in Mondaña. It takes more than four hours to get there by boat and bus. During my pregnancy I only managed to go there a couple times to get ultrasounds, because it was too expensive and took too much time away from my responsibilities at home. I was really worried that something would happen to me or my baby, and we wouldn’t be able to get help.

My community did have a small health clinic, but I felt so uncomfortable whenever I went there for check-ups. It was dusty and dirty and the building was being eaten away by termites. The equipment at the clinic was really old, and the power wasn’t reliable. It was always really hot inside. There weren’t enough doctors at the clinic so I usually had to sit and wait for a long time when I went there. It was really uncomfortable, but I had no other choice.

During my pregnancy, WE was working to rebuild a new clinic in my community, and many of my neighbours were helping build it. As I watched the clinic being built, I felt so much hope for my baby’s future. I was so relieved that I wouldn’t have to take him to the old clinic, or worry about travelling far.