We met Mama Phindi in 2017 while looking for a midwife during my first pregnancy. We immediately felt her warmth, humour, professionalism and experience. Throughout the pregnancy, I felt so grateful to have her on my side, advising me with a perfect combination of positive encouragement and straightforward pragmatism. When the time to birth finally came, I remember feeling such admiration for this woman who attended to us with such focus, strength and care, even though she had delivered four other babies on the same night! When I became pregnant nearly five years later, we immediately contacted Mama Phindi again. The second pregnancy had caught us by surprise and we felt less prepared than the first time in some ways. Meeting with Mama Phindi again soothed our fears and gave us the confidence to navigate in a new era, for us and for the world in general.

The second time around, I was even more aware of the depth and complexity of her role. I felt strongly that she was not only an excellent professional caregiver, but also a philosophical guide, a practical adviser, a creative collaborator, a storyteller, a confidante, a mentor sharing her wealth of knowledge around a natural process that has unfortunately become corporatised and industrialised with many damaging results. She equipped me with the strength and confidence to navigate the pregnancy, and remained our most important ally when our birth plan needed to change at the last minute. The sense of trust, gentleness, clarity, strength and support was consistent throughout every moment. I am so glad we got to go through this experience again with Mama Phindi and am so proud to be able to share her role in our story with our two daughters as they grow up.

- Lindiwe Matshikiza