HUGS: Help Us Give Slings
The Gift of Baby Slings: Tsunami and Hurricane Aid
Why did HUGS Begin?
On December 26, 2004 my family woke up to the horrifying news of the earthquake in Indonesia and the subsequent tsunami that caused devestation in Southeast Asia. We were particularly shocked since our father lives in Jakarta, Indonesia as a representative of the United Nations organization, UNIDO- United Nations Industrial Development Organization. A year prior I visited Jakarta and received a beautiful selendang baby sling. I observed mothers and fathers carrying their content babies and toddlers with such ease and convenience. It was then that I decided to carry my future child in the same traditional manner. My son and I have enjoyed the same joys and benefits of carrying a “koala baby.” When he was an infant I was able to complete my chores with him snuggled up against me either watching the goings on or sleeping soundly by the sound of my heartbeat; now that he is a toddler I have switched him to my hip where he loves to interact. Since our family has such a convenient connection to Indonesia we thought that there must be something that we could do in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster.
How does HUGS make a difference?
This is our families attempt to contribute to the hundreds of mothers whose babies were born in the refugee camps, as well as our effort to promote the practice of “baby wearing” among parents in the United States. HUGS is selling the slings purchased in Jakarta, Indonesia to raise funds and to teach mothers the art of using the traditional baby sling. All monies are sent back to Jakarta to purchase more slings. While on mission with the UNIDO my father distributes the slings to mothers living in refugee camps in tsunami affected regions. It is our hope that the selendang sling will be received as a useful and beautiful gift.
HUGS: Helping hurricane victims
In light of the recent Hurricane Katrina, HUGS has collected and delivered sheets to refugees in Texas to use as emergency slings. A sling is particularly useful when strollers are out of the question and while a mother is trying to carry a child and what little belongings she may have. HUGS is teaching aid workers the very simple, practical and SAFE way of moving about with a child during an emergency situation through babywearing. Please join us to hear about our disaster relief efforts to assist mothers in tsunami affected regions in Indonesia, and hurricane Katrina in the United States.
HUGS offers babywearing demonstrations
Jun-Nicole will demonstrate how you can use everyday household items as emergency baby carriers and how to use two traditional Asian baby carrying methods: the Indonesian selendang sling and the Japanese onbuhimo back carrier. A variety of batik selendang slings and sarongs will be available for purchase. The material has many uses beyond the traditional baby carrier. We have used ours as a blanket, sun protection, and as a changing surface...the gorgeous prints could be used as wearable art as a sarong skirt or shawl; a decoration as a table or altar cloth, wall hanging, curtain or bed spread. The class is free of charge and open to all. HUGS asks for a donation of $5, the cost to donate one sling to a mother in an internally displaced persons camp.
Contact Hugs:
jnmatsushita@mchsi.com
# posted by Emergency Childbirth @ 8:54 AM
