Toy designer creates dark-skinned dolls for children

Designer Sara Coulibaly was inspired to create a range of dolls after seeing shelves of only light-skinned options in Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast is a country on the south coast of West Africa, and this is where Coulibaly's company NaÏma dolls have launched 32 doll models with dark skin in time for local children this Christmas.

Aremou Karima, 3, holds a doll named Lola in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The aim of NaÏma dolls is to help young girls feel positive about themselves, their appearance, culture and history, all of which are currently under-represented in toys and games.

Coulibaly named different dolls after different parts of Ivory Coast and also based her designs on people she has met.

Designing the features of a the dolls

There is no indication at the moment if, or when, NaÏma dolls will become available in the UK, but this company joins a growing list of other toy makers who are hoping to create more positive and diverse dolls for children across the world.