María del Tránsito Sorroza facts for kids

Maria del Tránsito Sorroza (born around 1646) was an Afro-Ecuadorian woman. She became free from slavery because she was a very skilled midwife. People knew her by the special name "Hands of Silk."

Biography

Tránsito Sorroza was a woman of African heritage. She lived in Guayaquil, a city in Ecuador, during the 1600s. Her job was to help women give birth as a midwife. She was so good at it that people called her "Hands of Silk."

In 1646, she was granted her freedom. This was a special reward for her important work in the community. Maria also helped raise several young Black girls who did not have parents to care for them.

Legacy

A kind doctor named Ignacio Hurtado de López honored Maria del Tránsito Sorroza. He used his own money to build a hospital in Guayaquil. It was named the Nuestra Señora de Tránsito Hospital.

In 2017, Maria's life story was part of a special art show. The exhibition was called Mujeres de Guayaquil, siglo XVI al XX. It showed the lives of important women from Guayaquil's history.