#OrganizationOfTheWeek – A Look at the CNESF

Following our meeting with Dis-Lalie, the Montpellier-based association for the speech-language pathology program, this week we’re meeting with the CNESF, the association for the midwifery program in Nîmes!

In a nutshell, what is the CNESF?

The Nîmes Midwifery Students’ Association is a nonprofit organization under the French Law of 1901 whose purpose is to represent midwifery students in Nîmes and to give them a voice within federations such as the ANESF (National Association of Midwifery Students, our program-specific federation) and the AGEM (General Association of Montpellier Students, our regional federation). It also aims to listen to midwifery students in Nîmes, advise them as much as possible, and defend their rights and interests. Our association helps energize the student life of its members by organizing solidarity and prevention events, as well as social, athletic, and cultural events. Finally, it aims to enhance our skills as future healthcare professionals through access to continuing education.

What activities or initiatives do you organize throughout the year?

We are working to expand our activities as much as possible through the association’s various divisions the association:

The Public Health Division has organized, for example, film screenings followed by coffee-and-conversation discussions to explore topics such as female genital mutilation or anonymous adoption, particularly following screenings of films in partnership with the Sémaphore in Nîmes.

As part of the annual awareness campaign for breast cancer screening, we created a calendar for Pink October. It features prevention tips and information, and the money raised was donated to the League Against Cancer. We also participated in the Telethon alongside medical students.

Thanks to the growth of social media, we have created posters for global awareness days—such as the one created in collaboration with ANESF for World Contraception Day—and informational quizzes on various topics are also available. We’ve established a mentoring program where upperclassmen mentor students from different graduating classes, which we plan to expand further next year. 

We organized festive and team-building events, including the end-of-year gala, which unfortunately could not take place. As we did last year, we continued to expand our babysitting network. As for AGEM and ANESF, we attend in person or remotely every board meeting and general assembly to represent the midwifery students of Nîmes in policy decisions.

Snack parties are held every month to raise funds for charities, to which we also donate children’s clothing and supplies.

Finally, we participated in PEPS Week, organized by Tutorat Santé Nîmes this year, at the student fair, as well as at the Faculty’s open house, to do our best to answer questions from prospective students.

Why did you personally choose the Maieutics track, and what does the association offer students in this track?

In my opinion, this is a field you choose out of passion. The program is long and require a significant investment, particularly in the many internships. But Supporting couples, mothers, women, and even babies is what makes The diversity of our profession—and that’s what drew me to it. We do indeed have a broad range of expertise; whether in the private, public, or independent sectors, we can support women throughout their pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period (provided there are no medical complications). We can also provide preventive gynecological care and contraception consultations. We sometimes face difficult situations, but the intense moments of life and emotion serve as a reminder of why we started this work in the first place.

The association, for its part, provides opportunities to get together—whether at the clubhouse or at events—and to learn through training programs offered by ANESF or AGEM. Members can also stay up to date on national news, which we share regularly. For those who want to get involved in student life, it’s a great way to thrive while working on your own projects and collaborating with other students.

Why do you think people should join your organization? 

Joining our association is, above all, a gesture of support. We represent midwifery students in the faculty’s student life. Joining allows you to stay informed about various events and connect with other associations within the faculty or outside of it. In fact, this results in membership in both AGEM and ANESF, which allows you to stay informed about discussions within these organizations and potentially make an impact by sharing your views on key issues. It’s an opportunity to take an active interest in the future of the profession and student life in the region, as well as to bring broader issues to light.

Membership is also the only way to vote at general meetings for the future teams that will represent you during the next terms. And on the fun side, membership gives you access to a whole host of partnerships that our fabulous VP of Partnerships has secured for us—from laser tag to products from Luneale, Fempo, and many others—all offering great discounts. Finally, we have partnerships with professional insurance providers that offer additional protection for students on internships.

How do I sign up? 

Joining is very easy: just come to our association’s office on campus between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. (every day) and pay 7 euros—by check, cash, or even Lydia. We’ll give you a nice little membership card with our social media handles. You can join at any time throughout the year, but we close membership registration two weeks before the end-of-term General Assembly.

A few words about the 2020–2021 executive board?

Unfortunately, given the current health situation, this year’s handover will take place remotely. We are in contact with the executive board members running for the 2020–2021 term and who are more motivated than ever. There are exciting projects on the horizon that we look forward to learning more about in detail. It’s with a slight twinge of sadness that we’re stepping down from this term, especially given the difficult end to the year, but we have complete confidence in the dedication of the incoming executive board. They are motivated young women with experience and a lot of enthusiasm—everything needed to succeed. We couldn’t have handed over this term with greater peace of mind than with such a wonderful new generation taking the reins!

Feel free to follow us on social media:

– Instagram: @CNESF

– Facebook: Nîmes Midwifery Students' Association

– Twitter: @CNESF2