Unpack your bags at the Ermita Cartagena, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Relax and enjoy a cocktail on their rooftop swimming pool bar.

Evening: 5pm to 6pm

Enjoy this opportunity to mingle with the other attendees at the complimentary drinks and registration function.

Conference Day: 

This session will welcome you to our conference and commence our education with a look at the culture of Midwifery.

-What is the culture of Midwifery in Colombia and how does it compare to where you work?
-What does the UNESCO recognition mean for Midwifery?
-What is our role in passing on traditions in healthcare?
-What traditions are passed on in Colombian communities?
-What are the threats to this knowledge?
-What is a traditional midwife?

We will explore the rich traditions of Colombia and explore the latest Australian data on birth outcomes and consider our role in promoting normal birth.

Morning Session: 11am to 1pm

Current challenges in Care:

This session will explore some the challenges Colombia uniquely faces in providing care including care for the refugee population from neighbouring Venzuela, ongoing internal displacements from conflict, and access to care for left behind groups, including those impacted by the Zika virus.

Lunch: 1pm to 2pm

Afternoon: 2pm to 5pm

This afternoon we will explore the current outcomes in Colombian pregnancy, birthing and postnatal care. We will take a deeper look at the demographics of cesarean section rates, abortion services and contraception use, adolescent pregnancy and recent changes to the legal framework of child marriage. We will compare and contrast current maternal and neonatal outcome measures.

We will also explore the current recommendations regarding the role of midwives in our world, by considering global sexual and reproductive healthcare workforce reports.

Reflection Day:

Take the day to explore and reflect on on the previous day’s content. Explore the historic Walled City of Cartagena. Wander through colonial architecture and sample the local food.

Afternoon: 4.15pm – 7pm Sunset Cruise

Enjoy a beautiful 2-hour sailing experience through Cartagena Bay while watching the spectacular sunset over the sea.

Inclusions:

-Typical local snacks
-One drink (with or without alcohol – a glass of wine or a beer)
-Additional drinks and services can be purchased onboard if
desired

Morning: 11am Transfer to airport

Flight times:

Cartagena to Lima
Departure time: 2:04pm
Arrival time: 5:45pm

Lima to Cusco
Departure time: 11:20pm
Arrival time: 12:45am

Free Day: Explore all that Cusco has to offer

Full Day: Visit to Hampi Warmi Project

Recovering women’s true feminine essence is the only thing that can genuinely bring sustainable “empowerment” back to women, as this has a direct effect on self-knowledge, more selfresponsibility towards our bodies, self-love and self-esteem, which are the basic drivers to making and sustaining positive changes in women’s reproductive health and lives.

A viable way in which Andean women of rural Peru can successfully defend their real agency in reproductive health has to be sustained by the following conditions: to have a solid cultural identity, a local women’s network that can support and empower each other and can advocate for the promotion and defense of women’s health rights, and the access to unbiased
information in reproductive health which is woman-centered.

Thus, Killa Warmi (Moon Woman in Quechua, Andean native language) Project was first created for Andean women and girls of Peru in 2008 as an intercultural reproductive health education project, as part of the vision of Hampi Warmi (Woman Medicine in Quechua) Initiative.

The goal of Hampi Warmi Initiative is to bring reproductive autonomy back to Andean-Quechua women, through reconnection with the sacredness of our female bodies and honoring of our Rites of Passage, the revaluing of our embodied female body-wisdom and of practices that sustain their women’s health in holistic ways, their connection to Pachamama, and strengthening of local female support networks.

All of these components are transversal to the workshops/wisdom sharings/ women’s circles on which the project is based, together with the project’s strong focus in the revitalization of Andean local feminine medical knowledge, which is sustained by Andean community midwives whose knowledge is now at risk by the current politics of Peru in public reproductive health.

Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco

You will have breakfast at your hotel and then we will take a very early bus along the winding road to Machu Picchu, the Inca city that was lost to the jungle but rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983, Machu Picchu exceeds all expectations.

Perched high on an inaccessible hilltop the citadel is protected by huge cliffs and the raging Urubamba River. Once there you will be given a 2-hour guided walking tour of the site. Our expert guide who will explain the history of this ancient Inca citadel will make you back in the time by taking you to the most interesting areas of the citadel. After your Machu Picchu tour, you will have some time to be at Machu Picchu before you return to Aguas Calientes by bus.

Upon return to Aguas Calientes you will board the expedition train to either Ollantaytambo or to Poroy. From Ollantaytambo or Poroy you will travel by minivan to Cusco and we will drop you off at your hotel.

We will leave early, around 4:30, to take advantage of the sunrise at the Tambopata River.

TAMBOPATA RESERVE (LAKE SANDOVAL)

We will board a traditional boat to head to the Tambopata Reserve. We will navigate the Tambopata River for about an hour and will be able to observe birds throughout the journey. We will also observe the union of the two main rivers of this region (Tambopata River – Madre de Dios River).

Upon arriving at our destination, at the entrance to the Tambopata Reserve, we will start a walk of approximately 40 minutes. Along the way, we will see giant trees, medicinal plants, monkeys, birds, insects, rodents, and reptiles. This reserve is one of the most important in Peru, as it has a record of over 1000 bird species.

Upon arriving at the lake, we will board a rustic rowboat. Our guide will row on the lake, where we can observe macaws, herons, taricayas, black caimans, anacondas, and the largest otter in the Amazon (river wolf), some specimens of which are currently endangered. After seeing the great biodiversity, we will return to our lodge for lunch and enjoy some rest in the afternoon.

BONFIRE OR NIGHT WALK

When night falls, we will have a bonfire where we can share anecdotes and mysterious stories experienced in the jungle. We will also taste a small exotic drink made from roots of the most well-known and medicinal plants of the region. Alternatively, we can take a night walk to search for wildlife in the forest, depending on the group’s preference.

PARROTS OBSERVATION AND SUNRISE VIEW

We will wake up very early to prepare for an incredible experience: a festival (show) of various types of parrots inhabiting this Amazon region. We will embark and travel by land or river for approximately one hour from our lodge. This experience will be unique and unforgettable. We will enjoy the sunrise and listen to the songs of insects and Amazonian birds. For bird enthusiasts, this is a grand celebration as these parrots can only be seen in the Amazon.

Upon arrival, we will observe a large number of parrots gathering every morning at the clay wall, ready to continue their diet. The minerals in the clay they consume are essential for their nutrition and detoxification. It is recommended to maintain a safe distance to avoid startling or threatening the parrots.

BREAKFAST

We will enjoy a continental breakfast and then provide instructions for the activities planned for the rest of the morning.

Forest Walk

We will walk for approximately one hour, observing a variety of trees, medicinal plants, and tasting wild fruits along the way. During the hike, we will also see wild animals such as monkeys, birds, squirrels, sloths, and snakes. We will have the opportunity to see a specimen of Brazil nut tree, one of the most significant and majestic trees of this Amazonian rainforest, as it is unique to Peru’s Madre de Dios region.

Morning Session: 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Today we will explore demographic data on midwifery care in Peru. We will compare causes of death and look at strategies implemented to address these. Peru is making advancements in maternal and neonatal care outcomes that are the envy of other Middle income countries. We will also explore the human rights framework for obstetric violence and how this applies to Australia and Peru

We will explore research and testimonies from Australia and consider accounts of sterilisations without consent. We will also look at the current research on ethnobotanicals and their role in women’s healthcare.

Afternoon: 1:30 PM Transfer to airport – Puerto Maldonado to
Lima.

Morning: 6am Transfer to airport – Lima to Cartagena

Departure time: 9:20am
Arrival time: 12:56pm

Afternoon: Free time to relax or explore Cartagena