Welcome to Vidoli Brown Dolls, a journey born out of love, creativity, and the desire to reflect the beauty of diversity in our children’s playthings. 

My name is Naar, the founder of Vidoli Brown Dolls. I am a proud Zambian, wife, mother of two beautiful children, and a resident of the United Kingdom. With a background in secondary school teaching for nine years and currently a researcher, my journey into creating brown dolls is as unique as the dolls themselves. 

My journey began during the pandemic in the summer of 2020, while on maternity leave. I found myself reflecting on my childhood in Zambia, a time when dolls that looked like me were a fantasy, rather than a reality. I grew up playing with Caucasian dolls, with their blue eyes, pale skin, and blond hair. The lack of brown dolls in my childhood not only made me yearn for a doll that resembled me, but it also unconsciously set a standard of beauty that didn’t mirror my own.

In the absence of store-bought dolls, my friends and I created our own, using materials available to us. One type of doll was made out of plastic and sticks, and the other from banana trunks. These homemade dolls, despite their humble materials, brought immense joy and sparked our imagination. It was through these dolls that I developed a love for hairstyling, a skill that later turned into a side hustle.

I also remember a catalog of beautiful Caucasian dolls we had at home. I would spend hours admiring these dolls, dreaming of owning them, and imagining different scenarios of play. While these dolls fueled my imagination, they also made me keenly aware of the lack of dolls that reflected my own image. This experience left a deep impression on me and underscored the importance of having dolls that resemble the children who play with them.

Fast forward to today, I am the proud owner of Vidoli Brown Dolls. ‘Vidoli’ means ‘Dolls’ in Nyanja, one of the 73 languages spoken in Zambia. I chose this name to honor my Zambian heritage. My mission is to ensure that brown dolls are as easily accessible as any other dolls to children of all backgrounds. I am also passionate about supplying brown dolls to charities that distribute toys to children in developing countries, making sure that more children of color have access to dolls that look like them.

Vidoli Brown Dolls is not just a business for me; it’s a revolution. It’s a tool to help broaden the spectrum of beauty for our children, to help them develop empathy skills, and to expose them to diversity at a young age. I believe that every child should have the joy of playing with a doll that mirrors their image. 

My dream is to establish Vidoli Brown Dolls as a beloved brand of beautiful brown dolls in the UK and beyond. I envision a world where children of all races have access to dolls that reflect their image, where brown dolls are not an exception but a norm. Through this business, I am also creating a legacy for my own children, who I hope will carry this vision forward.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Together, let’s reshape the narrative of beauty for our children, one brown doll at a time.