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Dr. Aza Nedhari, DHS, CPM, LPC

@dr_nedhari

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President and CEO @mamatotovillage, Midwife, Family Therapist, 2026 Ashoka Fellow and OD Practitioner

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Our very own Board Member, @tatyanaali, is dancing her way into Week 6 of @dancingwiththestars! 💃🏽🌟👏🏾

We’ve loved watching Tatyana and her dance partner, @janravnik, bring their passion, dedication, and hard work to the dance floor week after week. And what made last week even sweeter? Seeing Tatyana proudly rock her “Maternal Health Is Everyone’s Business” pin on the national stage! ✨

Whether she’s lighting up the dance floor or advocating for mothers and families, Tatyana continues to show us what it means to use your platform with purpose.

Different stage, same mission. Maternal health is EVERYONE’S business! 💜

⭐ Village, let’s show Tatyana some love. Tune in tonight and help keep her dancing!

📲 Text TATYANA to 21523 at 5 PM ET and 8 PM ET to vote!

#MamatotoVillage #MaternalHealthIsEveryonesBusiness #DancingWithTheStars #TatyanaAli

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Let’s Talk Maternal Mental Health — How you really doing? 👀

That’s the question that needs to be asked. Because sometimes supporting a mom starts with simply seeing her, hearing her, and knowing when something isn’t right.

Maternal mental health is more than providing a service. It’s about showing up with care, compassion, and community-rooted support, especially during some of the most vulnerable moments of the perinatal period.

At Mamatoto, we believe investing in the people and communities we serve is essential to building healthier outcomes. That’s why our Perinatal Community Health Workers are rooted in the communities they serve and trained to recognize signs, provide support, and connect families to the care they need.

During the 55th Annual Legislative Conference, our President & CEO, Dr. Aza Nedhari, joined Representative Lauren Underwood’s panel, “Facing the Maternal Mental Health Crisis: How Black Communities Are Meeting the Need.”

When asked about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, recognizing signs of distress, and how providers can intervene, Dr. Nedhari spoke to the importance of knowing the signs and using screening tools like the EPDS to help identify when someone may need additional support.

Because mental health is wealth in our communities.🤎

🎥 Watch the full conversation and tell us what resonates with you in the comments.

#MaternalMentalHealth #PerinatalMentalHealth #BlackMaternalHealth #CBCALC2026 #ALC55

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Last month, during MCU’s annual commencement ceremony, we had the privilege of honoring four members of our community for their hard work, dedication to the art and science of midwifery, and their commitment to students and birthing people.

Please join us in congratulating and celebrating these wonderful people for all they do! 🎉

#midwifingmidwives #midwiferycollege #studentmidwives #commencement2026

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What happens when Black-led organizations are expected to deliver transformative results without the long-term investment needed to truly thrive?

In this publication by Dr. Aza Nedhari, CEO and President of Mamatoto Village, she reflects on the realities Black leaders face from burnout and underinvestment to the importance of reclaiming rest, imagination, and the resources needed to build sustainable change.

This piece challenges philanthropy to move beyond funding survival and instead invest in the future that Black-led organizations are capable of creating.

📖 Read the full publication by clicking the link in our bio or visiting bit.ly/TheFreedomToDream

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“Over 80% of maternal deaths in the US are preventable. This is a solvable problem. But it requires everyone to make maternal health their business.”

Today our President and CEO, Dr. Aza Nedhari was featured in @forbes shining a light on what we’ve always known: community-centered, relationship-based care saves lives. For years, Mamatoto Village has ensured Black families have access to trusted Community Birth Workers, culturally congruent care, and support that extends far beyond birth.

This work isn’t just impactful, it’s essential. But to reach more families, we need partners who are ready to invest in lasting change. Whether you’re a philanthropist, corporate partner, foundation, or community advocate, your investment helps expand access to lifesaving care, strengthen our workforce, and build healthier futures for families across our community.

The solutions exist. Now it’s time to invest in them.

Click the link in our bio or read the full article here: bit.ly/MVinForbes

#MaternalHealth #BlackMaternalHealth

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Nurses Community Leaders
🤝
Standing up for the people of DC

Last Thursday, WHC union nurses were joined by leaders from across the city to demand the MedStar puts our patients over their profits and keeps postpartum unit 5F open. Thank you to the many WIS nurses who stood up and spoke on behalf of our patients. Thank you as well to @aparnafordc @elissasilvermanfordc @dr_nedhari @dcnadbhnurses @1199seiu_mddc @dcjwj @firstshiftjusticeproject and @rabbi.yosef.berman for joining us in our fight to prioritize maternal health in the city. DC families are made safer and healthier by knowing that we all have their backs.

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“Safe babies and safe mamas where? How do you put your name on that promise and in the same season close the very beds where it was supposed to be kept.”

Today, our President and CEO, Dr. Aza Nedhari stood in solidarity with nurses, advocates, and community leaders during a press conference to oppose planned cuts to postpartum services at DC’s MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

The proposed closure of postpartum unit 5F would eliminate 11 maternal health beds in a city where access to maternity care is already limited. As healthcare providers and birth justice advocates raise concerns about the impact on families across the District, we remain committed to protecting access to safe, equitable, and quality maternal healthcare for all.

When maternal health services are reduced, families pay the price. We urge MedStar Washington Hospital Hospital Center to keep what they already have before you build anything new, before the next iniative, before the next research study, keep the beds already serving mothers open. We stand with those demanding that maternal health remains a priority, not an afterthought.

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🎉 We’re proud to share that our President & CEO, Dr. Aza Nedhari, has been selected as a 2026 @ashokaglobal Fellow—joining a global network of social entrepreneurs driving systems change around the world.

Ashoka Fellows are selected for their bold ideas, ethical leadership, and demonstrated ability to create lasting impact on society’s most pressing challenges.

For more than a decade, Mamatoto Village has worked to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women, birthing people, and their families by building a representative perinatal workforce, integrating clinical care with community-based support, and demonstrating what a more just and equitable maternal health system can look like.

This recognition affirms what we’ve always believed: community-rooted solutions aren’t a supplement to systems change—they are the mechanism for it.

Link in bio to read the full article! ✨

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What really got me into this advocacy is the love and care I received when I had my second baby. Someone looked at me and saw their sister. That kind of culturally congruent care should be the standard.

They may try to make us think it, but we’re not supposed to do this alone. We have to reach out, find our people, and make our village. Because as @glorillapimp and my grandmother say “nothin beats a failure but a try” ✊🏾

I’m so proud to be joining the Board of Directors at @mamatotovillage. I’m so excited for what’s ahead with this beautiful community.

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Creative Cocktail was the assignment and the Village stepped out for our inaugural Soirée ✨

The room was filled with beautiful energy, music, and so many moments that reminded us what community really feels like.

We’re so grateful to everyone who showed up and poured into this space—our incredible board of directors, sponsors, vendors, and our growing community. Because of you, we’re continuing to fuel the next chapter of care for Black mothers, babies, and families.

📸: @irismannings

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During Black Maternal Health Week, I had the honor of attending the @theblackmomsfair and moderating a powerful conversation on advocacy, birth work, and maternal wellness. I shared the stage with the incredible @_themasonjar_, @gowitherica, and @clarityquestcoach as we explored topics including postpartum mental health, community care, and the realities Black mothers continue to navigate.

One thing I shared during our discussion still sits with me deeply: “Maternal health is not a medical issue, it is a community issue.”

Improving outcomes for Black mothers and families requires more than clinical care—it requires investment in community, advocacy, culturally rooted support systems, and spaces where Black women feel seen, heard, and protected.

I left this conversation feeling inspired, energized, and reminded of the importance of continuing this work together. 💜✨

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I have a huge announcement y’all! I am joining the Board of Directors for @mamatotovillage. They have cared for over 4,000 families with zero maternal deaths and 100% love, care, and cultural competence.

Organizations like Mamatoto Village are quickly becoming the blueprint. They are our future institutions, and it is my privilege to give of my time and talents in pursuit of their brilliant vision.

Thank you @msnedhari, @mariahebarnette, the entire staff, and board for trusting me. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves beside you.

And rightly so, I got to start my tenure on the dance floor celebrating all of Mamatoto’s wins at this year’s soiree.

@naturi4real, thank you for sharing your story with us. Your words inspired the whole room.

We deserve joy.

2026 Board of Directors
Board Chair, Ryan Palmer
Board Treasurer, Osazee Imadojemu
Board Secretary, Aimee Peoples
Board Member, Noémie Gaines
Board Member, Tatyana Ali
Board Member, Lara Trujillo Webb
Board Member, Isaiah Davis
Board Member, Devon Kellett

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