Allen’s Nek couple creates children’s doll in daughter’s likeness
Allen's Nek-based father sees a gap in the market, and creates dolls to give his daughter better representation.
Have you ever wanted a doll that resembled you when you were a child? Be it dark brown eyes, or freckled skin. Representation is important to make children feel included and accepted.
In 2020, while the Covid-19 pandemic was rampant, Lot Nkomo, a father of a seven-year-old girl noticed a big gap in the toy industry when it came to the representation of African children, more specifically girls.
“During the pandemic, I had more time to play with my children and I got to learn more about their interests. This was when I realised the need for a doll that shared characteristics with black children in Africa, and across the world,” recounted Lot.
Lot and his wife, Joy, created a beautiful handmade doll that had the facial features of their daughter Nosipho.
“She wanted to play with dolls that had the same skin colour and hair as herself. That’s why with her curls, dark skin and full lips, our doll Nosipho Nompopi is the embodiment of an African girl,” exclaimed Lot.
He went on that they created her to instill self-love, confidence, and identity, ‘she is designed to reflect the beauty and diversity of black children across the whole world’.
“The whole process of designing and creating the doll took us two years and we introduced the dolls in 2022,” elaborated Lot, “we recently introduced an App in 2023 which goes hand in hand with the vision we had for the doll. The App bridges the gap in our lost heritage and in our educational system which indicates that more than 80% of grade fives can not read African languages and understand what they are reading.”
Lot concluded that they also designed a variety of African outfits that come in matching sets for the doll and the girls playing with them.
Lot, Joy, and their dolls can be found at local markets in and around Roodepoort.
