Advancing Equity Through Birthwork: Keegan Prempeh’s Journey Into Fertility Support

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Creating Opportunities Through Doula Education

Becoming a doula is about more than learning new skills. It’s about building confidence, community, and the ability to support others through life’s biggest transitions. Our scholarship program helps make that journey possible for students around the world.

Building a Practice Rooted in Community and Advocacy

I live in Odawa on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe nation with my two dogs Oscar and Darla. My doula journey began in 2021 when I attended a birth doula training with DONA International, and since then I’ve discovered a deep passion for birthwork. My doula practice is based on values of autonomy, informed consent and harm reduction. I currently offer birth and postpartum services and am excited to start my education on fertility! I also have a degree in social work with years of experience in program coordination, community engagement and equity, diversity and inclusion. You can learn more about me on my website keeganprempeh.com.

Expanding Access to Fertility Care

I see firsthand how urgently perinatal support is needed, especially for families who are navigating (in)fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with limited resources or support. Therefore, I wanted this scholarship in order to serve my clients sustainability, compassionately and expertly.

Specifically, I feel passionately about supporting 2SLGBTQ+ communities in their family building journeys. When I saw the opportunity to train as a full spectrum doula with bebo mia, I knew I had to jump on it! This scholarship is going to have a positive ripple effect on my community by allowing me to train as a fertility doula at a reduced cost.

Choosing Education That Reflects Her Values

bebo mia’s emphasis on inclusive, evidence-based, and justice-centered care in addition to the way the organization centers lived experience, community accountability, and culturally responsive support feels like a perfect fit for me. What I appreciate most about bebo mia is its commitment to anti-oppression, human rights and inclusion. The organization’s clear focus on equity, accessibility, and real-world application resonates deeply with my own birth philosophies and the populations I hope to support. I value that bebo mia does not approach doula work as a one-size-fits-all model, but instead recognizes the complexity of families’ needs and global systems that affect perinatal and infant health.

Transforming Care Through Equity and Representation

My desire to become a birth worker is rooted in both my professional experience and my deep commitment to health equity. The current state of perinatal health care in this country continues to leave many communities at disproportionate risk for negative outcomes, particularly Black families and other equity-deserving groups. High rates of medical interventions, systemic provider biases, and a lack of culturally responsive and trauma-informed care contribute to experiences that can be not only physically challenging, but also emotionally and psychologically harmful.

Through my work in community health, HIV prevention, and equity-focused initiatives, I have seen firsthand how gaps in care, barriers to access, and a lack of trust in healthcare systems impact people’s health journeys. These challenges are especially pronounced during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period—times when individuals should feel most supported, informed, and empowered.

I am drawn to birth work because it offers a meaningful opportunity to address these gaps at both an individual and community level. The role of a doula aligns deeply with my values and my experience in advocacy, system navigation, and community engagement. I see birth work as a way to help individuals feel seen, heard, and respected in their care, while also contributing to broader efforts to improve outcomes and experiences for marginalized communities.

Growing a Practice That Gives Back

My plan after completing a fertility doula course is to build a practice that provides comprehensive, accessible, and affirming fertility support for individuals and families navigating conception, pregnancy, and early parenthood…

Ultimately, I see this work as both a professional path and a form of advocacy, one that contributes to a broader shift toward more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate reproductive care systems. It is an honour and a privilege to support people during such transformative moments in their lives, and I am committed to doing so with integrity, care, and intention.

Build the Foundation for Your Career

Whether your goal is supporting families during birth, postpartum, fertility, or loss, our full spectrum doula training and birth doula training are designed to help you develop the confidence and practical skills to get started. Apply to our scholarships today.