Supporting the experience and care of traditional midwives in rural Guatemala with practical equipment and trusted local partnerships.
15 Dopplers Purchased; Delivery Pending
Project update — September 20, 2026: ATC has purchased the first 15 fetal Dopplers toward our goal of providing 30 additional devices.
Rubén Mata, ATC’s Project Coordinator in Guatemala, is arranging delivery to Erika. Travel disruptions have delayed the handoff. Delivery is planned for the week of September 21, subject to travel conditions.
These 15 devices have not yet been delivered. Another 15 remain toward the project’s purchase goal.
A Partnership Built Around Families
ATC works with the ACTOCHI Midwives Association in Guatemala. Traditional midwives, locally known as comadronas, care for mothers and babies and are trusted sources of support in their communities.
This partnership also connects families with ATC’s solar-home and clean-water work. Midwives help identify households with pregnant mothers and young children who would benefit from Solar Home Units and ceramic water filters, and teach families how to use and maintain the filters.
The Need Behind the Doppler Project
At the start of this project, 35 rural midwives shared five fetal Dopplers previously provided by ATC while caring for 130 pregnant women. The new devices are intended to improve access to equipment for checking fetal heart rates during prenatal care.
The project responds to a need identified by the midwives themselves: limited equipment must be shared across their work, and some experienced midwives have difficulty with traditional listening as their hearing declines.
Building on the Midwives’ Experience
ATC’s goal is to support the midwives with equipment that complements their knowledge and helps them assess when further clinical care is needed. The project aims to strengthen prenatal checks and referrals to clinics or hospitals.
The first purchase is a step toward the full goal. Delivery and subsequent progress will be reported as they are confirmed.
Learn about the related solar lighting and clean-water partnership
Help Equip Rural Midwives
Support the effort to provide 30 additional fetal Dopplers for these 35 midwives through our GlobalGiving microproject.