BIRTHWORKERSOFCOLOR

Guam

Historic Moment

In 2023, BWOCC hosted the first Doula Training & Rapid Response Trainings on Guam for the Chamorro people.

History of BWOCC
Advocacy on Guam

In December 2023,
BWOCC hosted the first
doula training on the island for the Chamorro people. Since then, we have conducted two additional doula trainings and two advanced doula trainings, cultivating a growing network of more than 40 trained doulas who are committed to supporting Guam families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

BWOCC Service Offerings on Guam

Culturally Relevant
Doula Support

Our doulas on Guam are trained locally and integrated into health programs, they expand access to prenatal care services that reduce costly complications while honoring community traditions. Request A Doula.

Village Educationals

BWOCC offers village outreach educationals for pregnant moms. This program brings our doulas to local communities on island, offering free educational classes & sharing information on birth planning, feeding, advocacy, & post birth support & more.

Outreach, Workshops,
& Events.

BWOCC does outreach & hosts events sharing community resources, services, advocacy efforts, & connecting with folks through art, workshops. Our workshops are designed to create accessible spaces where individuals and families can learn practical skills.

Request a Doula

Looking for
Doula Support?

Please reach out to us!

After asking some questions to help us narrow down what type of services you are looking for,

we will make our best efforts to match you with a doula that fits your unique needs and identities.

In the News

Group photo of Birthworkers of Color Collective doulas on Guam

Birthworkers launch free Village of Care workshop series

Nonprofit Birthworkers of Color Collective continues to expand community-based maternal infant health initiatives on the island by launching its Village of Care, a new series of free community workshops for pregnancy, birth, and early parenting.

ABC Pacific - Too many Pacific women die in childbirth. How can they be saved?

The rate of women who die during childbirth is alarmingly high in parts of the Pacific.

According to World Population Review, the rate of maternal mortality in Papua New Guinea is 192 deaths in every 100,000 live births.

That’s compared with a country like Australia, which is just three in every 100,000 births.

The reasons for these deaths vary from geographic barriers and lack of medical services to cultural barriers.

However, measures are being taken to address this limitation and help save the lives of women in the Pacific.

Sistas Let’s Talk host Natasha Meten speaks to Marshall Islands health secretary Francyne Wase-Jacklick, Stevie Merino-Mesa from the Birthworkers of Colour Collective and midwife Cherolyn Polomon who started a Whatsapp group for hundreds of Papua New Guinea’s health workers to collaborate about maternal health.

Environmental Justice
& Advocacy

20231217-MEDI-CAL DOULA STATUST-C05-F5063-Web.JPG

Climate Justice

Why It Matters

Climate justice and reproductive health care are critically intertwined, especially for doula communities in regions like Guam. Where environmental changes directly impact maternal health outcomes.

BWOCC Rapid Response Preparation
Training for Maternal & Infant wellness.
Our rapid response preparation trainings help folks build the skills necessary to address perinatal and infant health needs during climate disasters. Our trainings help ensure equitable access to culturally relevant reproductive care amidst climate challenges. This essential for safeguarding the well-being of birthing people and their families.

Guam’s Drinking Water Faces
Growing Threats From Legacy Pesticides.
(Dieldrin), emerging pollutants (PFAS), VOCs, microbes, and saltwater intrusion. Found in wells like Y-15, D-17, and M-4, these contaminants raise serious reproductive and developmental health risks, especially for pregnant people, infants, and young
children. Protecting Guam’s families requires coordinated action at every level. As these issues unfold, communities rely on accurate data, clear communication, and policy transparency to make informed health choices.

Arts & Culture

Installation Held / After, as part of Ta Nå’i Animu II: Sacred Waters.
At Guam museum, features a pregnant and postpartum belly casting—marking the journey of the maternal body through water, from protection to exposure, from abundance to absence.
Maternal and infant health do not exist in isolation. They are inseparable from land, from ocean, from infrastructure, and from whether the water touching our bodies is truly safe. As birthworkers, we see every day how environmental harm shows up in pregnancy outcomes, postpartum recovery, and generational health.

Rooted in Tradition
Guided by Ancestors

We equip our community with indigenous centered care, rapid responsive training and birthing support. Birthworkers of Color Collective (BWOCC) has intentionally built relationships with families, community leaders, and health advocates across the island of Guam to strengthen access to culturally relevant perinatal support. BWOCC was founded in 2017 and is led by a CHamoru woman with the mission of improving health outcomes for marginalized communities through culturally-relevant and inclusive education, training, and full spectrum doula services. BWOCC recognized the urgency of coordinated community action, especially in the wake of Typhoon Mawar which critically impacted health service delivery and hospital infrastructure. When doulas are trained locally and integrated into health programs, they expand access to prenatal care services that reduce costly complications while honoring community traditions.

Donate to the
Guam Doula Project

Guam birthworkers continue forward despite news of funding removed for Guåhan Doula Project

“We will continue this work and remain steadfast in our determination to reduce maternal & infant health disparities, and will do so with or without government support”

Stevie Merino, Executive Director & Chamorro Birthworker

DONATE HERE