Midwives

Jessica

“I just love being with women.” Jessica Kirkwood-Weaver was raised in rural Washington state and Wisconsin. Her first experience assisting birth was with the cows on her family’s farm. Jessica traveled the country in search of a midwifery school and found herself in El Paso, Texas at one of the most demanding midwifery schools in the country.  Jessica dedicates herself to her clients to ensure they have a positive and memorable experience. After graduating, Jessica stayed at Maternidad la Luz to work in the clinic.

Kennasha

In the midst of applying to nursing schools and getting her bachelor’s degree, Kennasha Roberson decided to study midwifery. “My idea is to be able to work with other women in my community, African-American women, to educate them about natural birth,” she says. Kennasha is now a midwife at Gentle Beginnings Birth Center in Fort Worth, TX. “I love working with women. I still love touching bellies. Every heart tone that I hear, I take the time and thank God that I have the ears to hear with and the skills to know what I’m listening to. I love being a midwife.”

Diana

Diana Zanelli recalls when she began her journey to become a midwife: “I decided to be a midwife when my daughter was born. I always say that when she was born, she brought me two gifts: The gift of her and the gift of discovering my passion for midwifery.” Diana graduated from Maternidad la Luz in 2010 and is now in Spain with her daughter practicing midwifery.

Sandra

“I felt like it was time for more women from this community to start taking care of the women here,” Sandra Iturbe explains. Born and raised in El Paso, Sandra also studied the traditional Mexica beliefs and ceremonies around pregnancy and childbirth. “These two different schools, different ways of looking at birth—this is the type of midwifery that I want to do.” Sandra graduated in 2010 and continues to serve the women of her community.

Kaley

Deborah Kaley, Director of Maternidad La Luz, has been practicing midwifery since 1981.  She has worked with a diverse bicultural clientele in many settings, from busy birth centers to a rural home birth practice.  Over the years she has attracted a dedicated and skilled staff of midwives and academic instructors.  They bring their enthusiasm, life experience, expertise and skills to enrich the learning experience of the students.

School of Midwifery

Maternidad la Luz Birth Center and School is the premiere school of midwifery in North America because it offers integrated academic and clinical training. Since 1987 Maternidad la Luz has been rooted in the community of El Paso / Juárez, by providing safe natural birth options for women in this border community.

Catching Babies does not simply show what is wrong with the maternal healthcare system but celebrates an alternative that is led by the women who are most impacted.

Barni Axmed Qaasim, Director / Producer

Barni Axmed Qaasim is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist. Her work ranges from documentary film to music videos to video and photo journalism. She is dedicated to capturing images and sounds that shine a light on the efficacy and strength of communities that are ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media.  She constructs vibrant environments and likes to juxtapose diverse images to build meaning. She draws inspiration from Ida B. Wells, who pioneered investigative journalism to demand justice for her people. Barni’s work focuses on telling stories that evoke emotion and build connections between people because art can bring people together in a way that politics cannot.

Barni is the founder and director of Culture Is Life, a company that provides video production services to social justice organizations. Barni is Associate Producer for Under Arpaio, a documentary film and winner of the 2012 Best of Arizona at the Arizona International Film Festival; the film was selected for the Sundance Institute’s Creative Change Artists’ Retreat. Barni was an Assistant Editor for the documentary, Into the Current, which was selected for the Lucerne International Film Festival and One World International Human Rights Film Festival. Barni holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Interdisciplinary Arts and a Masters of Arts in Broadcasting.

Jennifer Lucero Producer

Growing up, Jennifer Lucero developed her passion to capture people’s stories and experiences. Now she fuels her passion by producing documentary films that provide unique and diverse perspectives of people’s lives.

When she began her studies at the university, she envisioned writing stories to empower and educate people but also wanted to incorporate her desire to make films.  She began to think about the type of journalism she wanted to pursue when she graduated. While in school, she directed and produced Under a Cloudless Sky, a short documentary that sought to decriminalize women living in transition. In 2008, she graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in Communication and a minor in Women’s Studies. In 2010, prompted by the recent violence in the Mexican border town Juárez, she directed and produced Juárez en Movimiento (Juárez in Movement). This film examined how Mexico’s struggle with the drug war affected people living and working in El Paso’s sister city, Juárez.

Recently, Lucero continues to work on socially conscious projects. In conjunction with New Mexico State University, she is the post-production supervisor for a new documentary about women agricultural scientists who are breaking through the gender barriers in Africa.