- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

Some people go south with a suitcase full of bathingsuits and sunscreen. A local woman is heading to the tropics June 9th with as much baby acetaminophen as she can carry.

Donna Jansen is taking adult non-prescription painkillers too for her short trip to the hills of Guatemala, to a midwifery clinic that sits between a prison and a dump.

She is travelling with a friend whose daughter Stephanie is the Director of Maternity Care for Hope for Home Ministries in Guatemala.

Stephanie writes:

"I use my training as a Registered Nurse to manage prenatal care appointments, labour and delivery, and postpartum care for women from remote communities around Guatemala where there is little access to safe and professional medical services.

I also work with local women in the village, training them to be providers of safe maternity care. Guatemala has one of the highest maternal and infant death rates in Central America. Many people are dying unnecessarily and simple education and health care can make a big impact to reduce those statistics."

If you want to add something to Donna's luggage, or put something in her wallet for purchasing supplies for the clinic from the local economy in Guatemala, please contact her at [email protected]

There is more information about Stephanie and her work (and more babies!) on her website.