Wendi Cleckner, CPM LM
Wendi is a desert child at heart, born and raised on the Arizona clay. In 1993 she helped a friend through the birth of her first child and felt a passion to devote her life to moms and babies. The calling of midwifery has blessed her with travel across the world, taking her to the Philippines, the Sudan and Iraq. She believes in the intrinsic knowledge women hold in the ability to bring forth life, and will continue to work both individually and with the community, rallying for women to give birth as they choose. Meet Wendi…
Hanifah Muhammad, Naturopathic Physician, Midwife
Greetings Family, I am Hanifah! I am a daughter, sister, mother, wife&widow, auntie, doctor, herbalist, acupuncturist, educator, community advocate and student midwife. I am originally from New Jersey, but moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2005 to pursue an education in Naturopathic Medicine, and begin my journey to becoming a doctor, midwife and community healer. And oooooo weeeeee has it been a whopper of a journey.
I am a “Community Baby” – an only child of my mother, brought up by a circle of elder women and men, who colored my character with a love of cooking, gardening, building/ construction, ALL types of music, art, knitting, sewing, card playing and traveling, as well as spirituality, self-sufficiency, resiliency, community responsibility and hardwork. Yep, I know that’s a lot, but it has made me a beautiful mosaic of a woman.
My passion for birth work began when I was a young girl, in the images of old female slaves, “the mammy’s” and “big mamas”. These women, who were always called on when the slave women or “Massa’s” wives were in labor, because they carried the knowledge, skill, strength and power to ensure the safe passage of a new life and new momma into loving space. These women were the holders of light and life in a very unsafe and hostile environment. Yet these women still carried the knowledge of foods and herbs, sang songs and stirred large pots of stew and special tea, or sat humming a prayer and knitting a stitch as they sat patiently awaiting the laboring mother, encouraging her and comforting her like known other had been able. These women, were my first archetypes of a midwife. By age of 6 or 7, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor who delivered babies.
I pursued degrees in Psychology and Public Health, prior to pursuing an education in Naturopathic medicine and Chinese medicine. And in between it all I got married, had babies, started a business and infused myself into community advocacy work centered around health disparities, reproductive justice, food equity, mental health wellness, and homelessness. I also travelled to parts of Africa and Haiti, where somehow I was always put with the midwives and maribous (traditional spiritual healers) to assist, learn and experience. I can tell you delivering babies by candlelight sheds a beautiful light on the situation.
I come with much learned and lived experience in the processes of birth, life and death, but also in the processes of healing, strength and joy.
My role in birth work, in the most mundane of senses, is to be a witness and assistant to catch the baby. But in the most magical of senses, my role is to take a journey with families, using my hands, my head, my heart and my spirit to create and ensure a safe space for moms, dads and families, where they can birth their new life into safety and love, on their own terms. Simply put, my role is to ensure that the new lives that come into this world, and the families that are created, are welcomed and held with love, respect, honor and majesty. It is an honored place to sit…right at the feet of our great mothers, waiting patiently at the door to life on this earth with a smile and good greeting for the new soul coming to join us. I was raised to believe that every child is an answer to a prayer. I am here to make sure those prayers are born into existence with gentle, loving care and gratitude.
In my free time, between doctor-mom’ing and supporting birthing families, I enjoy singing, dancing, poetry, photography, and all forms of hands on art. I also love cooking & eating great foods, enjoying great movies, traveling to new places, spending time in nature…park, mountain, lake, backyard (whatever you got, I love it), sewing, knitting or reading. And most of all, I love gathering with friends and family, laughing and sharing time.
My passion has always been to be an assistant to God in his works of healing and supporting life, light and love, through all of it’s cycles. I look forward to joining you and supporting you through this beautiful journey! Let’s go! Peace and Blessings.
Shakari (Shea) Lockett, Birthworker
Hi, I’m Shakari Lockett—proud mother of 6, grandmother of 2, and wife of 17 years to my incredible military husband. At my core, I’m a nurturer who thrives on giving. For me, midwifery is about nurturing, supporting, educating, and listening to each person’s unique needs to provide individualized care.
In January 2021, just one week postpartum, I began my first semester at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College’s Midwifery Program. Alongside this, I’ve been pursuing an associate degree in Non-profit Leadership, with the hope of combining both to start a non-profit. This organization will offer the same services I provided with Military Birth Resource Network, but with additional programs to ease the burden of things like chiropractic care, doulas, gas cards, and food assistance—resources that many in low-income communities desperately need.
One of the biggest challenges in these communities is a lack of resources and access. My goal is to support, educate, and help families find their voices by providing evidence-based information so they can make informed decisions. I’m passionate about improving pregnancy, birth, and postpartum outcomes, and I believe the change starts with grassroots community outreach.
This journey has been anything but easy. I moved twice for clinical placements, often away from my family, and navigated the grief of losing my father, aunt, and father-in-law along the way. But with the unwavering support of my cohort, family, friends, and preceptors, I made it through.
Other FATS Community Midwives
- Crystal Pena, CPM LM