Elena Carillo
President
I have a long history serving DONA International. My first assignment was as a BOD member many years ago, when I was Mexico Regional Director. At the time, my responsibilities included overseeing doulas from Latin America and countries outside the American Continent, as there was not yet an International Development Director post. Through the years I have remained actively involved with DONA serving as volunteer in different positions and as a doula trainer.
I have been a Speaker at several DONA Conferences and I became recipient in 2012 of the Penny Simkin Award.
DONA has been in a way “ my second home” and I have always felt close to it, abiding by it´s vision and mission and promoting this wherever I go.
I have been married to the most wonderful man for 48 years; I am the mother of four daughters and grandmother to eight children ages ranging from 24 months to 15 years.
I have been a Lamaze childbirth educator, a doula, doula trainer and lactation educator and consultant for more than 40 years, have taught childbirth classes to around 4, 000 couples and have attended as a doula 2, 500 births and supported 1,000 breastfeeding mothers.
One of my greatest honors has been attending as a doula the births of my grandchildren.
I am Mexican and have always lived in Mexico City, but have been fortunate enough to travel along the continent and Europe teaching doula trainings. I have taught the first DONA doula training in several countries, sometimes in places where doulas were unheard of. Thanks to my traveling I have established a friendly and close relationship with many doulas. I know first hand the challenges and difficulties doulas face in different countries, from different cultures and backgrounds.
My passion and hopefully my legacy is to bring DONA’s vision and mission to more parts of the world, helping and supporting international doulas that will empower new mothers and families. Hopefully, this will have an impact on improving infant maternal health globally, especially in countries where conditions today are not the best for mother and baby.
I have had the opportunity to identify the unique struggles faced by international doulas, but I also know the difference we can make. Having witness how DONA, can help and support women around the world, without imposing, being sensitive and respectful to their own culture and traditions.
I have been involved with international organizations for more than 20 years now. I have served on different BODs as International Representative, such as, IMBCI, Lamaze International, ANIPP, (Mexican National Association of CBE and doulas) and I am a proud ratifier of CIMS. I know exactly what international doulas need and want from DONA, being an international doula myself, and what they can bring into the organization.
I speak fluently Spanish my native tongue, English and French. I can understand some Italian and Portuñol (spoken in many places in Brazil)
Through the years I have made contact and established close relationships with doulas from all over the world, so I have a network of resources to help in our mission.
I have been for many years the “link” between DONA and the doulas that lived outside the US and do not speak English fluently.
I have many goals and high expectations to fulfill as International Development Director. Our organization is international and I hope to see it expand globally even more than what we have reached today.
With the help and support of our membership I am confident that I will accomplish this, serving DONA International to my fullest capacity.