Jeri Gunderson

Jeri is the Birthing Home Founder and Coordinator of Shiprah Birthing Home in Manila, Philippines.

In Jeri's own words, "There are three words that define Shiphrah Birthing Home: welcome, organic, justice. The birthing home is named after the courageous Biblical midwife of the Moses story who chose to defy Pharoah’s order to kill the boy babies at birth. She stood between the power of the state that would kill and the lives of children born to Hebrew slaves. We stand on her shoulders. From our inadvertent beginnings in 1991 to today, our passion has been to welcome with joy every woman and her family who crosses our threshold. We are gentle birth midwife-driven, intentional toward the marginalized mothers who live in the many impoverished communities around us.

Natalia Zilli

Hi, I'm Natalia! I'm from Argentina. I began my career in fitness in 2002 with studies of aerobics, step, gap, and personal training. I then started studying for a degree in Physical Education and trained in spinning, contemporary dance and Latin Rhythms. After obtaining my degree, I quickly obtained a position as the assistant to a teacher of expressive movement. Since then, I have expanded my portfolio to include a wide range of clients and physical fitness methods.

From 2009-2013, I worked in a gym as both a teacher and manager where I trained in Samba and Funky Rhythms. In addition to serving clients with paid gym memberships, I volunteered to promote physical fitness in low income neighborhoods.

In 2015, I moved to Spain and continued my fitness work. Two short years later, I moved to Vietnam and almost immediately began work as a Zumba and Spinning instructor. I also served as the Coordinator of 'Hola Hanoi,' a group of Latin people who are living in Hanoi. This was a great challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed.

With my friend and colleague, Naara, I am now running the Fitness Village Studio in Hanoi.

Naara Moctezuma

Naara is a Healthy Life Style Promoter. After seven years of Medical School in Mexico, she worked first in a hospital and then with an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that provides Medical Services to migrant women in Central America. In 2012, Naara served as an intern for a Chronic Disease program in Romania. A short two years later, Naara volunteered to work in the Family Reunification Program run by the Spanish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. In 2016, she trained as a Zumba instructor in London, U.K. Shortly thereafter, Naara began a Master degree program in Nutrition and Health. She now resides in Hanoi, Vietnam and serves as the Coordinator of the Fitness Village Studios.