Handcrafted Alaafia Kids Dolls
| Overview | Handcrafted Alaafia Kids Dolls Catalog |

We think that Dr. Seuss was referring to children in the quote given below, but we believe that this quote applies equally well to children’s little friends, dolls.

Experts say that young children cannot yet distinguish between fantasy and reality. We think that children demonstrate the truth of this statement in word and action. That’s why, for example, children will talk about Big Bird® and Elmo® of Sesame Street® as if they are living human beings just like you and me. In fact, children will refer to them as their “friends” just like little Taylor or Taneka down the street. They’ll want to have them eat with the family at the dinner table, go along on family outings, and put to bed with them, too. To little people, these personified animals and monsters are no different from them. They are “little people,” too.

Dolls are People, Too!
According to children, dolls also fit perfectly in this category of personified non-humans. Whether they look life-like or not, dolls are often children’s best “friends.” This is so true at our home. Our children will meticulously dress up their dolls and selected stuffed animals, line them up against the wall or on chairs in whichever room we’re in at the moment, ask to bring them to the dinner table, and to take them on errands and walks, etc. Their bed is also filled with dolls and stuffed animals every night. We mustn’t dare suggest moving them aside to make room on the bed. Oh no! They must stay and sleep, too, because they are our “friends.” And we haven’t even mentioned the tea parties we throw for them on the dolls’ birthdays!

Unique Alaafia Kids Dolls
So, it was perfectly logical for us at Alaafia Kids to develop our very own line of Alaafia Kids dolls! In fact, these dolls are special ones in many ways and are sure to become your little ones’ most loved dolls, just as they have for ours, because they are very huggable and movable and look just like they do.

The dolls have very special names. There’s Habiba, Mandisa, Addo, and Obi. These names were carefully chosen to represent the four corners of Africa. Each name also has much meaning, and suits each “person” very well. These dolls embody the characteristics of real Alaafia Kids.

a. Significance of the Names
The older girl doll dressed in a handmade white dress with a white hair covering is named Habiba. She is 5 years old. Habiba is a Muslim name that is very popular in Somalia and North Africa. The name means “beloved.” Habiba’s soft eyes and gentle smile make her so loved by all! The younger girl doll dressed in a handmade African outfit like those you can find on our African Clothes for Children page is named Mandisa. She is 3 years old. Mandisa is a name from the Xhosa of South Africa. It means “sweet.” Little Mandisa’s happy smile and cheery eyes reveal her sweetness. Mandisa is so sweet that she’s even sweeter than honey!

The older boy doll is named Addo. Addo is 4 years old. His name is popular in Ghana, West Africa and means “king of the road.” Addo is an adventurer. He loves to explore new places and his never-ending energy permits him to do this! Addo’s large, bright eyes indicate that he’s ready to go on an adventure with you! Addo is dressed in a handmade African outfit just like those on our African Clothes for Children page. The younger boy doll is called Obi. Obi is two years old. He is dressed in handmade blue jeans and rainbow print shirt. The name Obi is from the Ibo people of Nigeria. It means “heart.” Obi’s heart is overflowing with love for all the people in his life, including you!

b. Skin Tones
Second, these dolls have unique skin tones that represent some of the many shades of real, live Alaafia Kids. We searched all over to find just the right tint for each one. The fabric is 100% cotton, high-quality, durable muslin.

c. Clothes
Last, the clothes on these Alaafia Kids are symbolic. We offer a wide selection of handmade African outfits, made of the same high quality “Super Wax” fabric that our African clothes for children are made with. We also offer handmade, American-style clothes in rainbow prints. The rainbow motif symbolizes the diversity of Alaafia Kids. You see a rainbow in our logo, as site markers in our store’s pictures, in the title of one of our coloring-story books, and in one of our puzzles. One of the rainbow prints used to make the dolls’ clothes is an exclusive design, the proceeds of which go to the Save the Children Foundation. This non-profit organization works to improve the lives of children around the world. We at Alaafia Kids will donate 10% of our profit from the sale of these dolls to the Save the Children Foundation in honor of the great work they do to help all of the world’s children.

d. Designed with a Child in Mind
We also designed these dolls based on our children’s specifications. In other words, we kept huggability and movability criteria first and foremost in mind during the design development process. From observing our children playing with their many dolls of various sizes, we concluded that a fifteen-inch doll is their preferred size, (although the toddler dolls are a bit smaller than the other two to reflect reality). They also prefer a soft doll rather than a hard vinyl one. And they love to position them just right so we made sure that the joints are movable. The end product is an extremely huggable, dressable, movable, and cuddlable “friend.” We sincerely believe that your children will love our dolls as much as our children do!

Designed with Safety in Mind
The Alaafia Kids dolls and clothes are made with the safety of young children in mind. We chose to embroider the faces on, rather than use buttons or paint, so that parents can be assured that their children won’t be harmed in any way when the dolls are handled in normal ways. Likewise, the clothes are made with elastic rather than buttons or snaps for the same reason. Furthermore, rest assured that our Alaafia Kids dolls are made to withstand some serious playing for a long time to come! Parents: Please be mindful that, as with all toys, children must be supervised. Alaafia Kids Company cannot accept responsibility for the misuse of these dolls.

Customize Your Own Alaafia Kids Doll!
Because Alaafia Kids are special and unique in so many ways, we decided to provide a customization service as well! Customize your own doll! Create ones that closely match your own Alaafia Kids, or design some yourself! You may specify the skin, eye, and hair colors, the hair style, and the clothes from the varieties you see on our four signature dolls. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

View/Order from our Handcrafted Dolls Catalog >>