By Taya Rene
I find myself torn between two worlds. The witness of the divide of borders and land and people and religion, the fleeing from genocide to seek safety and the freedoms that I hold simply because of the life I was born into. I see the very best thing we can do is open our palms to this, to each other. When we merge, we heal.
Photos from my continued time here 
Most days here are spent in the camp helping to care for women and their babies, mentoring local midwifes, attending births every now and then and traveling between the 3 birth centers and 5 clinics that we help to serve. The one day out of the week that is not in the camps is spent in meetings and one of these groups is the Sexual Reproductive Health group which is combination of representatives from most of the various medical based NGOs that provide women’s health services here. As the seasons have changed one of the big topics of conversation at the moment as shifted as well. It is the planning for the impending monsoon season and what will be done to provide aid and services to continue to assist in the safety and health of the 700,000 + refugees in this area. Today I heard some 29,000 rohingya babies are due this year. We have began planning for our sites in how to stock the facilities with enough supplies so when roads become impassable, the staff and patients are taken care of, that protocol for emergencies and well being is in place that will be the most effective in helping all these women and babies are healthy and survive. The reality is large and looming as roads are going to wash out and homes are going to become landslides and flooding will ensue. It rains 29 out of 30 days during the monsoon season.
I can’t help but think about this all the time as of late. When my eyes meet another’s and I see the the stories carried, the fear and desperation, the life and homes taken without thought of the takers, the ancestors souls they now have carried across the land to seek some sense of safety and perhaps a more peaceful destiny. That this is on its way is heartbreaking and humbling. Tonight I ask, let us join together across lands and tribes and countries and please keep these families and human beings in your thoughts.
When I sit with women like the one in the photo. I am reminded that we are stronger than we think.
That resilience and faith walk hand in hand, fingers laced and hearts open. It involves the will to over come even when completely broken. We are all part of this collective story and there is no more time to not acknowledge that.
It truly takes a village
From uterine infections, a dehydrated women fainting to a malnourished 5 month old weighing in at 8.3 pounds and diagnosing twins and oh so much more, today was busy to say the least. We also meet a rohingya tradition Midwife ❤️, momma of the twin momma. Feeling gratitude for our amazing translator, the staff of Bangladesh Midwives and the wonderful and wise Jennifer Head who is the other international midwife I am working along side. #midwifepilgrim #travelingmidwife #letsbebettertogether#healthcareforeveryone #love
Each day I pray that with all the grief and suffering in this world, for the paths crossed that humble me to my core, that we may counteract it by serving as a bridge of love and compassion to ourselves and others. The power lays in our hands to turn this over. May we learn to listen. To journey to the rhythm of our hearts songs. May we do and be with what and who feeds our souls. Move from that which truly moves us and if not, may we receive the courage and support to find our way there. Speak the language that is your love. It thrives on the beauty that you are. Let it be what rises with you each morning calling you forward. Hold gratitude close to your life’s breath and in its reflection may we commit more acts of kindness.❤️ Todays window of peace was opened with the sweet and healthy arrival of a little girl amongst a very busy day at the clinic. (Momma and Baby in second photo). #travelingmidwife#letsbebettertogether #love #healthcareforeveryone #rohingya
A full, busy and heartbreaking last couple of days working in the camps. Yesterday we spent the day delivering birth kits, supplies and birth bags to the clinics for the local Midwifes. At our last stop a laboring mom came into the clinic and delivered a still born baby. As two other international Midwifes worked to bring life back to this little girl for ten minutes I assisted the local Midwife in care of the mom and delivery of the placenta. Unfortunately the baby did not make it. We did everything we could. Today I went and visited this mom with the local Midwife that helped in the delivery and sat with the family in their tent. The grandmother was so thankful for the presence and with the help of one our brilliant translators shared that the visit made it feel that the baby was alive before and that it would not be forgotten. To lose a baby after fleeing from such violence I can not fathom and we can and will only continue to serve as best we can.
The photos are from the last few days. Pictures of the camp does not do justice to the size of this camp. I hear different numbers but estimated around some 700,000. Keep these beings in your heart and prayers. Love and live from your ultimate truth for what we have and the fact that some of us have choice is so precious.
The line outside one of the birth centers in the camp that we are working in. Inside is overflowing and crowded. The camps are cities, the need is beyond measure and the number of pregnant women is vast and I’m not sure even known. #travelingmidwife #healthcareforeveryone #istandwithallrefugees#midwifepilgrim #love #letsbebettertogether #rohingya
Landed, arrived, settling in and had the first day out to one of the clinics we work in. It was filled with the kindness and welcome of local midwives, some mentoring, mommas, babies, working successfully with language barriers, meetings and traveling through the seemly endless beauty of rice fields where profound moments of quiet were found among the very busy noisy roads in this part of the world.
Still catching up to the time here so more to come as the days unfold.
I will say that life is continually a surprise and astonishing humbling.
En route to Bangladesh
❣️#letsbebettertogether #healthcareforall#onwardandupward #travelingmidwife #love #midwifepilgrim
Traveling Midwife: Bangladesh 2018 