A how to lesson

I’ve posted in the past about my love of kangas & how Kenyans use them to tie babies on their backs. 

Because some of you asked to see what it looked like to balance the baby on the back, I took a few pictures about a week before we were due to come back home to the states. 

Lillian, one of the house-mothers in the abandoned infant care center was kind enough to demonstrate with Ameena. 

Moving Ameena onto her back

Positioning Ameena on her back with the elbow up to catch her if she slips

 

Balancing Ameena as she readies the kanga to pull over her

 

Adjusting the kanga up under the bum

  

Finished, with a kanga as a baby carrier

I’ve tried this a few times now, always with someone there to catch Ameena as I’m not the most comfortable in my ability to balance her on my back.  Ameena has lasted on my back for about 5 minutes, breaking out into a squawk before long.  I got some interesting stares walking down my street in Portland, Oregon with her on my back.  You’d think this hippy town would be used to this kind of thing by now!

The Ameena Project

Bringing opportunities and advantages to Kenyan children… and it starts with equal access to education and nourishment.

Ameena Project News & Updates