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UTHANDO DOLL PROJECT : Dolls for Zulu Children
In Term 2 2006 the students in Room 9, IEC Senior Phase 2 IEC and Room 7, Mainstream Year 5, with their class teachers, Ms Rodrigues and Ms Bonser, undertook a Technology and Enterprise project which involved making felt dolls for young children in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa. The Uthando Doll Project is a Perth based organisation run by Georgia Efford. The group provides the doll pattern and organises transport and distribution of the dolls once they are finished.
The collaborative classroom project was featured in the Fremantle Gazette and the organisation's newsletters, the dolls receiving glowing comments from all who had the pleasure to see or hold them.
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The Project
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The students began the project by researching and learning about the lives of the KwaZulu Natal children, locating the region on the map, discussing the merits of the Uthando (which means love) Project and reflecting on their own learning journey.
KwaZulu Natal is on the West Coast of South Africa. We share the Indian Ocean. |
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The Technology Process : Devise, Create, Modifiy, Evaluate
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Planning
Students brainstormed ideas about the attributes of a favourite or popular toy, they then used this information to think about what would make this doll loveable and attractive to a KwaZulu child considering the aim of the project and the children’s life experiences. Using this information students designed, drew, coloured and labelled a front and back elevation of a paper doll. Students then planned, measured dimensions for the clothing, and selected fabric, threads, buttons, and other items that they required to make their designs.
They considered what the doll should look like, the size and the colour of the body, the type of hair, the design of the face, how it should feel, and finally what these particular children would want in a doll. |
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DEVISE
While the students had already been given the template for the doll body design, each student planned the clothing and further embellishments they would include on their finished doll.
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CREATE The pattern
Students cut out the pattern, pinned it onto the doubled felt fabric and then cut out the fabric using fabric scissors. We unpinned the pattern and pinned the felt together, ready for sewing.
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The class was organised into different focus stations such as cutting, stuffing, sewing, and an accessories table.
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Sewing machines were manned by parents and grandparents who were ready to sew around the outside of the main body, leaving gaps to add in the arms and a gap at the top of the head for stuffing. |
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Students then used pillow stuffing and problem solved about how to get the stuffing down to the bottom of the leg.
“The best way to get it to the bottom is to use the end of the pencil and don’t rush,” said Raneem
The arms were sewn, stuffed and then attached to the body, the head sewn up and now the doll was ready to dress with clothes and other embellishments. |
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MATERIALS Students brought along an assortment of recycled bits from home to make clothing and decorate the dolls. The old socks, bits of stretch fabric, old jewellery, beads, buttons and cotton thread, were swiftly turned into amazing creations by the students.
“We designed the clothes and the mum’s helped us sew them together”.
“I cut the top off a sock and then one of the mums sewed it for me, it was a hat for my doll.” Bob explained.
Stretch fabrics were easy to use as they wouldn't fray when cut and didn't need fiddly hems. |
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“I wanted a cape for my doll so I cut out a bit of fabric and got a mum to sew a button on” said Morgan. |
“We learnt how to use a needle and sew buttons on for the eyes and nose while for the mouth we used cotton and red felt,” explained Brodie.
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Students used a large darning needle to sew and tie the hair onto the doll. As they were working the students chose a name for their doll.
ENTERPRISE : Presenting your finished product in an attractive way.
Name tags
Each student made an individual card to accompany their doll, with a photo of the doll maker and a short piece of information about themselves.
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My name is Bill Junior. I am 13 years old. I live in
My doll's name is
I hope you like the doll that I made just for you. I came from
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My doll's name : Lilly Doll maker's name : Georgia Age : 10 I live in Perth, Western Australia. l like to play with my friends. I hope you like my doll !! |
 Carl |
 Bella |
 Andrew |
The Exhibition - Sharing the Learning
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To conclude the project students invited their families to celebrate the project. The students made invitations using Publisher, inserting photos and text.
The exhibition was held in the library. A representative from the Uthando Doll organisation came along and gave a short talk about the project and showed students photos of children receiving dolls. The exhibition was attended by the many helpers, other members of the school who independently made a doll, Mrs Webster, parents and grandparents.
Students gave a last hug to their dolls as they were handed over.
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Evaluation /Reflection
The students spoke briefly on their feelings about the project.
Brodie explained that, “I think when the South African children receive their dolls, that they will receive the joy that I had when I was making my Uthando doll.”
Another student Abbey said, “I have learnt that by doing this we have allowed mothers in Africa the opportunity to share a moment of exquisite joy with their children.”
Morgan shares his thoughts by explaining that, “I think the Uthando doll project has made me open my thoughts about children who live with sicknesses and poverty like those in South Africa.”
Our Gallery of Dolls
 Nick |
 Ruby |
 Shupiwe |
 Rin |
 Alex |
 Simon |
 Nikita |
 Sandy |
 Erik |
 Taghi |
 Amaka |
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 by Bill Junior |
 Georgia |
 Hollie |
 Elvir |
 Kimberley |
 Mia |
 Dare |
 Aislinn |
 Isabelle |
 Marlene |
 Alima |
 Bob |
 Leila |
 Indira |
Sandy |
 Brodie |
 Abbey |
 Hannah |
 Norah |
 Raneem |
 Brian |
 Shupiwe |
 Georgia |
Not really a CONCLUSION... more of a CONTINUATION when...
On Tuesday September the 19th Tamsen Rochat who is a Chief Researcher in the Child, Youth and Family Development Programme in KwaZulu-Natal and Georgia Efford visited the school to discuss the project with the children. Tamsen was interested to make links with the school and hear from the children how they felt about the project and allow them to ask questions.
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One child asked, “How do you give the dolls to the children?” Tamsen replied “We don’t give the dolls to the children, we give the dolls to the mother or the Gogo which means grandmother in Zulu and they give it to the child. You see we allow by giving the parent the doll to share love with their child, it is important that the giving of love comes from a loving parent, not from us, someone they don’t know.” Tamsen has asked if the Beaconsfield children will keep in contact with the project and send letters to a group of children and keep the relationship going. We agreed! |
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Students looking at the dolls created by other doll projects and discussing the many different styles and costumes.
If you use the key words Uthando Doll Project on an internet search engine, you will
be able to read about other groups who have become involved in making dolls.
