Big Sister doll
Miriam’s Dolls
I met Miriam last year, quite by accident. I had been asked to help a woman named Aina, who had just set up a kindergarten in the middle of NOWHERE. It took me ages to find this place, riding my bicycle up and down hills in the farthest section of the informal settlement. Eventually I found her and the 30 plus kids she had stuffed into a corrugated tin shack with no water or electricity. I introduced myself and we discussed various ways that I might be able to help her. As I was leaving the kindergarten I saw a group of ladies sitting in the shade, sewing. I was curious, and went over to check it out. The ladies were making dolls, ADORABLE dolls for infants and children. They had a “big sister” with her little sister strapped onto her back, and a “big mama” doll with twin babies tucked into her two front pockets. I was immediately taken with the dolls, and asked how I could purchase some.
The ladies were part of a sewing cooperative, started five years ago by a woman from the Netherlands. She taught the Namibian women how to make the dolls, where to get the materials and how to pool their resources and divide the profits. They were exporting the dolls to the Netherlands, and also selling them in a few of the Hotels and Lodges in various parts of Namibia.
It was not long before I was a regular customer of this doll project. Visitors and volunteers brought back dolls to countries all over Europe, Canada, the USA and Australia.
In October, Miriam asked me to come and see her. She lives in a corrugated tin shack along with her husband and their 5 children. Her husband has a job as a security guard, making $1500 Namibian dollars a month. (roughly $200 US dollars) and Miriam stays home and sews the dolls and takes care of the children. She had some bad news for me. The woman who had organized their cooperative was moving back to the Netherlands, and the women had disbanded. In one last attempt to keep them going, each of the eight women invested $1,000 Namibian dollars from their earnings and they got a booth in the local craft center. They agreed to continue to make the dolls and to sell them to tourists in this very popular craft market in the center of Windhoek.
Just two days after the women’s cooperative established themselves in the craft market, they were caught stealing crafts from the booths of other merchants and were evicted. Miriam was devastated. She had invested $1,000, (her entire share of the businesses’ earnings), and had lost it all because some of the women had been dishonest. As tears welled up in her eyes she said, “All I want to do is stay at home with my children and make dolls. I don’t want to be a part of that group any more. They spend all day fighting amongst themselves and they are cruel and dishonest. Can you help me? Can you help me get my own sewing machine and materials and can you help sell my dolls in Europe and America?"
I felt a great desire to help Miriam, and trusted her implicitly. I told her I would return the following week and we would embark upon the project. She asked if it was possible for her to begin the following day; she felt that sitting around was a waste of time and she longed to get started making dolls on her own. I borrowed a friend’s car and returned the next morning. We drove all over Windhoek, getting the best deals on fabric, stuffing, ribbons, thread and all the materials. Then we went to get her a sewing machine. Since she has no access to electricity, she needed a small, hand operated machine. Even one with a foot petal was more than she wanted. We ended up getting her a magnificent little Singer Sewing Machine which was well built, sturdy and also very reasonably priced. All together, the machine and materials came to $1400 Namibian dollars. (roughly $200 US dollars) She thanked me profusely and told me she would notify me when her first batch of dolls was ready.
Less than two weeks later she contacted me, and I went out to see her. She had made ten big sister dolls and ten big mama dolls. With the big sisters selling for $100 Namibian dollars each, and the big mamas for $120 Namibian dollars, she not only paid off her debt, but earned $800 in addition to it. I congratulated her, and reminded her to invest that money in more materials FIRST, and then buy food and other things for her family with what was left. Miriam agreed and I left with a tremendous feeling of happiness and pride for this wonderful woman who got her own little business off the ground in a matter of weeks.
The dolls are also sold locally at Hotel Uhland, which is owned by my dear friends Irmgard and Jurgen. Each doll is totally unique, and Miriam takes great pride in making each one perfectly. No flaws, no glitches. The precision and the detail is outstanding, and I marvel at how she can produce such magnificent crafts in such a difficult environment. Since then, Miriam has not looked back. She has made over 1000 dolls which I have sent to Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, and the USA.
I met Miriam last year, quite by accident. I had been asked to help a woman named Aina, who had just set up a kindergarten in the middle of NOWHERE. It took me ages to find this place, riding my bicycle up and down hills in the farthest section of the informal settlement. Eventually I found her and the 30 plus kids she had stuffed into a corrugated tin shack with no water or electricity. I introduced myself and we discussed various ways that I might be able to help her. As I was leaving the kindergarten I saw a group of ladies sitting in the shade, sewing. I was curious, and went over to check it out. The ladies were making dolls, ADORABLE dolls for infants and children. They had a “big sister” with her little sister strapped onto her back, and a “big mama” doll with twin babies tucked into her two front pockets. I was immediately taken with the dolls, and asked how I could purchase some.
The ladies were part of a sewing cooperative, started five years ago by a woman from the Netherlands. She taught the Namibian women how to make the dolls, where to get the materials and how to pool their resources and divide the profits. They were exporting the dolls to the Netherlands, and also selling them in a few of the Hotels and Lodges in various parts of Namibia.
It was not long before I was a regular customer of this doll project. Visitors and volunteers brought back dolls to countries all over Europe, Canada, the USA and Australia.
In October, Miriam asked me to come and see her. She lives in a corrugated tin shack along with her husband and their 5 children. Her husband has a job as a security guard, making $1500 Namibian dollars a month. (roughly $200 US dollars) and Miriam stays home and sews the dolls and takes care of the children. She had some bad news for me. The woman who had organized their cooperative was moving back to the Netherlands, and the women had disbanded. In one last attempt to keep them going, each of the eight women invested $1,000 Namibian dollars from their earnings and they got a booth in the local craft center. They agreed to continue to make the dolls and to sell them to tourists in this very popular craft market in the center of Windhoek.
Just two days after the women’s cooperative established themselves in the craft market, they were caught stealing crafts from the booths of other merchants and were evicted. Miriam was devastated. She had invested $1,000, (her entire share of the businesses’ earnings), and had lost it all because some of the women had been dishonest. As tears welled up in her eyes she said, “All I want to do is stay at home with my children and make dolls. I don’t want to be a part of that group any more. They spend all day fighting amongst themselves and they are cruel and dishonest. Can you help me? Can you help me get my own sewing machine and materials and can you help sell my dolls in Europe and America?"
I felt a great desire to help Miriam, and trusted her implicitly. I told her I would return the following week and we would embark upon the project. She asked if it was possible for her to begin the following day; she felt that sitting around was a waste of time and she longed to get started making dolls on her own. I borrowed a friend’s car and returned the next morning. We drove all over Windhoek, getting the best deals on fabric, stuffing, ribbons, thread and all the materials. Then we went to get her a sewing machine. Since she has no access to electricity, she needed a small, hand operated machine. Even one with a foot petal was more than she wanted. We ended up getting her a magnificent little Singer Sewing Machine which was well built, sturdy and also very reasonably priced. All together, the machine and materials came to $1400 Namibian dollars. (roughly $200 US dollars) She thanked me profusely and told me she would notify me when her first batch of dolls was ready.
Less than two weeks later she contacted me, and I went out to see her. She had made ten big sister dolls and ten big mama dolls. With the big sisters selling for $100 Namibian dollars each, and the big mamas for $120 Namibian dollars, she not only paid off her debt, but earned $800 in addition to it. I congratulated her, and reminded her to invest that money in more materials FIRST, and then buy food and other things for her family with what was left. Miriam agreed and I left with a tremendous feeling of happiness and pride for this wonderful woman who got her own little business off the ground in a matter of weeks.
The dolls are also sold locally at Hotel Uhland, which is owned by my dear friends Irmgard and Jurgen. Each doll is totally unique, and Miriam takes great pride in making each one perfectly. No flaws, no glitches. The precision and the detail is outstanding, and I marvel at how she can produce such magnificent crafts in such a difficult environment. Since then, Miriam has not looked back. She has made over 1000 dolls which I have sent to Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, and the USA.
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