On a recent trip to Ghana we visited Cape coast Elmina castle. The stories we heard about slavery and the brave women who fought for black freedom really touched us. We felt it is very important for us to remember and also educate our children and future generations about these powerful women in history. It was this trip that inspired us to create Nana dolls.
Nana means Queen or King in West Africa , Ghana. We wanted to teach the younger generation this important history whilst also having fun. There were many strong courageous women from all over Africa who helped to fight for freedom. Amongst those are four who have inspired Nana dolls. Yaa Asantewaa from Ghana, Mbuya Nehanda from Zimbabwe, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti from Nigeria and Miriam Makeba from South Africa. Each doll’s character is inspired by one of these historical Queens.
We hope you will enjoy playing with these Queens with your children, and join us on this fun trip as we all learn about their strong characters and ultimate bravery.