TOTAL =1540 Selendangs donated

September 2007

Dear friends,

Thanks to your tremendous show of support and enthusiasm for the HUGS: Help Us Give Slings project an additional 200 selendangs were distributed this August among mothers in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.  The foundation Yayasan Saluran Internasional (YSI) in cooperation with mobile clinics hosted by the International Channel Foundation (ICF) worked in villages located in the mountainous areas of Bireun a conflict stricken area where houses and school buildings were burned and in Aceh Besar where the recipients are Tsunami survivors.  Our partners Elmer and Liz run programs for orphans, widows and mothers in these areas mostly unreached by other NGOs. 

The names of mothers with children between the ages of 7 to 18 months were collected and then called up one by one to ceremoniously tie the selendang and then take photographs.  Liz reported back, ‘It was a privilege to help Elmer distribute them to very, very poor women with babies in the village of Cut Mugu. These were victims of the conflict who were so poor they were down to eating only bananas and coconuts.”  For one village she writes in another message, “we just had enough for women with babies.  Sure enough one lady was going through the crowd trying to borrow a baby so she could get a selendang. Then another one picked up a seven year old to try to get one!.. They use [them] to drape their head as a head covering - one lady was really beautiful as she wore hers biblical style while she waited in our clinic. The yellow hues in the material and her chocolate skin were really pretty.  They loved the red ones. Yes, red is their favorite color. They use them as a skirt, head covering, pad to carry water bottles on their heads, blanket, jacket, and to a baby sling. A selendang is one of their basic commodities and used for many purposes.”

Currently we are working to make another donation for the next round of mobile clinics in February.  We are also extremely excited to be collaborating with midwife Robin Lim who runs the Bumi Sehat childbirth centers in both Samatiga Aceh and Bali.  Each mother will receive a selendang with their Mother-Baby kit. “Currently, Ibu Robin writes, “we make Mother-Baby kits to give to each mother who is giving birth. The kits contain a sarong, t-shirt, menstrual pads, underpants, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb, baby clothing and receiving blankets, cloth diapers.  Since most of our moms have virtually nothing – it is so wonderful to be able to give them the kits... Since we see pregnant women every day at Bumi Sehat – it would be easy to distribute the selendangs.  One of the things I really worry about is the fact that babies in Indonesia are often riding in their parent’s arms on motorbikes!  Even a quick stop sends the baby flying out of the mom’s arms.  At least if they are secured with the selendang, they have a chance.”

We at HUGS are very excited and honoured to be collaborating with these organizations.  Please continue to help us by spreading the word about our work within your communities. You can visit our website to print handouts and learn more ways to participate in our mission to promote the art of babywearing on both sides on the Pacific.