Traditional birth in Zimbabwe

I have worked as a midwifery tutor for over two years in remote rural Zimbabwe with the Australian Volunteer Abroad scheme. As my contract draws to a close, I thought it worth relating and documenting my experiences and some of the customs associated with traditional birth in rural Zimbabwe. My work has been based at Murambinda Mission Hospital and with the traditional midwives (TMs) of the surrounding area, Buhera District. Buhera has a population of over 220,000 and is the second largest rural district of Zimbabwe, and one of the poorest. The women of Buhera can choose to give birth in hospital, at one of the 24 rural health clinics in the district or with the many traditional midwives in the area.