The Origin

In the beginning there was a girl named Satu who lived in a magical village near a lush and tropical forest in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Every year in Satu’s village there was a festive celebration for the young girls who were growing into young ladies. Satu’s village was very remote and far from the city. So it was particularly important that everyone in the village contributed. Every person had a role: the doctors, teachers, lawyers, farmers- everyone had an important part to play. So, in order to ensure there was never a shortage of talent, the village mothers and aunties would find the smartest young girls, who got the best grades at school, and were the best behaved at home, and they would invite them to the secret celebration in the woods. The week-long celebration took place in the Enchanted Rainforest where the girls would learn how to cook delicious meals, how to do all the best dances and they would sing the most beautiful songs. But most importantly, every night, the women and the girls would sit around the singing circle and play games that would help determine what job a young girl would have once she officially became an adult. So at long last, after watching her sisters and cousins be whisked away to the Enchanted Rainforest, it was finally Satu’s turn! During her time in the Enchanted Rainforest Satu learned many things and made many friends. But then came her big night, the night Satu had been waiting for. On this particular evening while everyone sate in the singing circle, the aunties called upon Satu. The eldest auntie came and gently took her hand and lead her deeper inside the Enchanted Rainforest. There the auntie led Satu to the Magical Mango Tree. There her auntie reached up and shook a branch and down fell the largest mango Satu had ever seen. Then the auntie cut the mango open, and carved a slice of the juicy delicious fruit. She then handed it to Satu and told her to take a bite. Satu took a big bite of mango and as the juice ran down her chin she fell into a deep sleep. Satu then had the most vivid dream. She dreamt that she was swimming deep down to the bottom on the ancestral river, that flowed through the village and the forest. As she swam deeper and deeper she saw her Great-Grandma Bintu, who had passed on to the ancestral world years prior. Grandma Bintu swam beside her and led her to an under water waterfall. When they reached the waterfall Grandma Bintu swam swiftly and disappeared under the falling water. Satu followed and also swam under the waterfall. But once Satu passed the rushing falling water, she was inside of a cave. Inside the cave were all the other aunties and friends she had left in the singing circle. Suddenly they all surrounded her once again. Then the eldest auntie reached behind her back and pulled out a golden book with letters made out of shiny diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It was the most beautiful thing Satu had ever seen. And everyone in the village knew that if the elders presented you with the golden book, you were meant to be a lawyer. As Satu reached out to touch the book, she was immediately transported back to the Enchanted Rainforest and the single circle. And now she knew! A lawyer- that would be Satu’s career. Satu eventually grew up to be one of the best lawyers in all of Sierra Leone, and all of Africa. She eventually became so popular that she left Africa and traveled the world as a lawyer. But she never forgot where she came from and she never forgot the night Grandma Bintu lead her to her path in life. Bintu Babies are all the girls from the Enchanted Rainforest who went on to do amazing things in Africa and around the world- just like Satu. We hope you enjoy collecting them and getting to know each one. And while you enjoy your doll, do not forget, the village needs each and every one of us to survive. Be the best you can be and one day children around the world will be telling your story.

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Masah and Kenye SamForay are the Co-Founders and sisters, born in the United States to Sierra Leonean parents. As young girls growing up, they recall how impossible it was to find beautiful black dolls with skin like theirs and hair like theirs. In fact they jointly recall never owning black dolls at all, with the exception of some dolls, called “The Ashanti Dolls,” that their mother and her friend sewed by hand, especially for them. More poignantly, as little girls, they recall wanting to look like the white dolls they did have- instead of looking like themselves. The scarcity of black dolls in the market is of course indicative of a much deeper conversation about race, colorism and stereotypes about beauty. So why black dolls? The answer is quite simple: because we should, because we can and because it is time. We strive to not only provide beautiful, fashionable and affordable black dolls, but we have an equally important mission of highlighting the beauty and talent of Africa. Each Bintu Babies doll is handmade in Africa, by Sierra Leonean hairdressers, stylists and tailors. From the beautiful braids to the vibrant colors, we are highlighting our natural talents, while providing jobs and ending generational poverty. Buy one or buy the entire collection, and together let us make this brand a movement in the larger cultural shift towards teaching our children about self-love, ownership and the undeniable acknowledgment that we are, always have been and always will the THE beauty standard.