Mary Bocel

Independent Midwife and Nursing Assistant

Mary arrived at AMA in 2012 to help with maintenance. She carefully observed how the clinic operated, and one day she asked to learn. AMA agreed to teach her on one condition: that she return to her studies. It was a privilege she hadn't had as a child, because in her family, girls' education wasn't considered important.

While training to be a midwife, Mary completed elementary school, basic education, and a nursing assistant program. She eventually joined AMA as a midwifery care provider and has been supporting women in the organization for over a decade.

Even with more training and experience than many, for years she was unable to obtain her midwifery license: the local health center had not issued licenses to midwives in over 15 years. This demonstrates the lack of institutional interest in preserving midwifery and the discrimination faced by women, Indigenous women, and midwives in particular. During the clinic's temporary closure, Mary continued her studies, with the support of AMA, so she could attend university. In 2026, she graduated from high school and became the first woman in her family to pursue higher education. That same year, the health center in her hometown of San Pedro Yepocapa finally granted her her midwifery license.

Mary also knows about childbirth from her own experience: her first child was born at the national hospital, before she came to AMA, and her daughter was born at AMA in 2021.

She is an inspiration to many. At AMA, we are deeply grateful for her gift as a midwife and for her unwavering commitment to women's autonomy.