photo: Rachel Ward
Angelina Chavez is a local icon of perseverance and generosity for the people of San Francisco de los Cerros. Her husband was killed at the beginning of the civil war in 1980, but she she stayed put and continued her practice of midwifery while most of the local population left or took up arms. While the war raged around her, Angelina continued to give life to the newborn babies of the women who stayed behind too. She is a partera of some reknown, giving life-saving medical intervention to pregnant women, many of whom did not have the resources to birth in a conventional hospital. Angelina claims that she has never received a penny for her services.
Her cheery humble house is decorated with reels of brightly coloured shredded plastic and her own artwork. A cool mountain breeze ruffles the shredded plastic, making a soft sound reminiscent of running water. In her spare time, she practices embroidery, which she carefully frames and hangs alongside a portrait of her and her husband together, taken the year he died. Recently she suffered a stroke, and half of her body lacks the agility necessary to carry out births without assistance, so now she enlists the help of the fathers.
Far from obsolete, her craft is an important component of the work of the local ECOS team. Refusing any kind of remuneration, Angelina says that the people of San Francisco de los Cerros are very generous and take good care of her. When asked if she was training anyone to take her place, she said, sadly, 'I tried to convince my nieces, but none of them are interested.'
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