Africa-Press – Kenya. Former South African President Nelson Mandela once stated that it always seems impossible until it’s done.
The adage seems true in the story of Anne Wangari Kamau who resorted to quitting her lucrative job at Oracle Corporation offices based in the United Kingdom in order to venture into the doll-making business.
At the tech company Oracle, Kamau was the head of marketing for the East and West Africa region, amassing over eight and a half years.
Speaking to the media, she affirmed that leaving the corporate world after working in it for over 15 years, was a nerve-racking moment for her.
“I have always been creative, and I knew that I wanted to use my hands to create things. But, for a long time, I felt like I was trapped, not fully living my authentic self,” she stated.
She pointed out that the idea to venture into the art came from her 13-year-old son, Kiragu Kamau who, at the time he was one year old in 2008, requested her to knit a doll for him.
Feeling compelled to honour her son’s request, she knitted him a teddy bear, which became his favourite toy to play with – a moment that birthed Umba creations.
Embarking on the journey, she flew back to Kenya in order to focus on the business. She added that the aim of the project is to impart positive messages and values to the children’s lives.
“The dolls come in different forms: dolls for disabled children; dolls with vitiligo or those dolls celebrating the beauty in albinism,” Kamau affirmed.
During her first month, she earned Ksh114,000, which she acknowledged, was a tremendous feat. This led her to employ two full-time employees in order to build the brand.
Kamau pointed out that due to stiff competition and in order to stake a claim within the market, she imports yarn from South Africa to make the dolls.
This, she affirmed, has appealed to clients from across the world who order her products through her social media platforms.
“Our story is that within each doll lives a tribe of values, which have been passed on from one generation to the next. We wanted to bring these values to life by passing on the core value messages through creative yet fun play,” the entrepreneur stated.
