Ubuntu Wellness Academy
“I am because we are.”
Founded in 2007 by Iya Omitola Yejide Fowler as the Ubuntu Birth Workers Collective, the Ubuntu Wellness Academy was born from a vision to create a sacred space of learning, healing, and empowerment for all women—especially women of color. What began as a collective for doulas and birth workers has since evolved into a holistic academy dedicated to nurturing the mind, body, and spirit through education and ancestral wisdom.
The name Ubuntu, a South African philosophy meaning “I am because we are,” is the foundation of our work. We are a community of women connected through the sacred lineage of the womb—honoring those who came before us, those who walk beside us, and those yet to come. Together, we promote self-healing, self-awareness, and collective growth through the power of sisterhood.
Healing at Ubuntu includes every woman—those who are childbearing, post-hysterectomy, walking through menopause, or simply evolving into new expressions of self. Whether you are a birth worker, a healer, or a woman seeking reconnection with your body and spirit, you have a place here.
Through online classes, workshops, mentorship, and community gatherings, Ubuntu Wellness Academy offers holistic education rooted in the principles of care, balance, and divine feminine wisdom.
When one woman heals, we all rise.
Our Courses
Ubuntu’s Doula Training Program provides comprehensive education in both birth and postpartum care, blending practical skills with holistic and ancestral wisdom. Students learn to support families emotionally, physically, and spiritually through every stage of pregnancy, labor, and early motherhood. This training empowers women to serve as compassionate, culturally grounded caregivers within their communities.
Doula Training
Ubuntu’s Birth & Postpartum Doula Training prepares women to support families through every stage of childbirth and recovery. Combining evidence-based education with ancestral wisdom, this program teaches compassionate, culturally rooted care that honors the body, spirit, and community.
Womb Wellness Certification
This a comprehensive program designed to train and empower women in the ancient and modern practices of womb-centered healing. This certification includes three areas of study: Womb Meditation Teacher, Herbal Vagi-Steams Practitioner, and Womb Wellness Coach.
Usui Reiki Certifications
Led by Iya Omitola Yejide Fowler, the Ubuntu Reiki Certification Program invites you to awaken your natural healing abilities and align body, mind, and spirit. Through Reiki I, II, and Master Teacher training, students receive attunements, hands-on practice, and intuitive guidance. This journey blends traditional Reiki principles with ancestral wisdom and metaphysical insight, preparing you to serve others with compassion and divine energy.
Intro to Herbal Remedies
Explore the powerful role of herbs in supporting the female body through every life stage. From menstruation and fertility to menopause and emotional balance, you’ll learn to create blends that nourish the womb, restore hormonal harmony, and promote overall wellness.
My recount of why and what was happening in my life when I started Birthworkers training with Ubuntu Birthworkers Collective is much more than a testimony. This serves as part of my story and what supported me, encouraged and motivated me to support families today.
In my heart I feel like Mama Omitola was singing a song thousands of miles away that I heard and responded to. There was an urgency in her voice that something had to be done right then regarding the guidance and protection of women in what should be their strongest yet vulnerable state.
Ubuntu Birthworkers Collectives teachings opened my eyes to the beauty of the birth experience and what every woman, especially Melanated enriched women are deserving of, a beautiful and memorable birth experience. I was also taught of the contrast as well concerning the medical bias & apartheid and injustices surrounding our cultural birth experiences especially in hospitals. This is what hit home in my heart when I was called to the frontline of service. Ubuntu’s core curriculum is like no other as it addresses the many facets involving factors previously mentioned in combination with pre-conception, conception, pregnancy and birthing on a cosmic, soul, spiritual and even Akashic levels. This focus gave me and my peers a greater understanding of these components where without them the physical could never be.
After Mama Omitola felt my dedication, some of my peers and I were asked to take on the role of instructors. I felt extremely special and most of all trusted and from that day in 2013 I have been teaching and fostering sisterhoods in the realm of self care, family planning, birth support and now midwifery.
In short, because I can go from the moon and back recommending our program to anyone who desires to receive real foundational training in doula care. Students will begin their paths recognizing how anatomy, disease and conditions in pregnancy, clinical ethics, medical terminology, movement in pregnancy, mental health, lactation and post partum care and so much more!
It has been a pleasure working for and with our collective. The unconditional love and support for our instructors and students all channeling back to our director, Iya Omitola Ogunsina is why our program remains like no other and will continue to grow and assist families growth for generations to come.
With love & gratitude.
Nova Burch-Lilly