Ethiopia hoping for doll success

By Damian Zane
BBC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Senzero is keeping Ethiopia's rich heritage alive

Ethiopia's proud history and rich heritage is being kept alive by a 38cm-high plastic doll.

Senzero is the first ever doll to be manufactured in Ethiopia.

His creator, Girma Zelleke, confidently predicts that the Senzero doll will take the country by storm, as he already has his own successful animated television series.

The boy - who on screen is computer generated - has a traditional Ethiopian haircut, and just wears a pair of white cotton shorts with the Ethiopian colours as trimming.

Senzero does a traditional Ethiopian dance - the boy moves his shoulders up and down, pushes his head backwards and forwards, and lifts his knees in the air in the style of dancers from the west of the country - with Ethiopian countryside scenes rolling across the background.

Inspiration

Girma Zelleke, or Papa Senzero, as he is now known, was inspired by the Ethiopian folk hero Senzero, a Tom Thumb-like figure who, despite his size, triumphs against adversity.

Papa Senzero is proud of his Ethiopian version of Walt Disney

He is confident that the character will be a winner in the market place - and that is why he has gone into doll manufacturing.

"First of all I saw Baby Chacha, which is a dancing boy and I was dreaming to have an Ethiopian boy to be dancing the same."

"So I took the idea from there and I made a character... then I started reading Ethiopian folk tales and I noticed that Senzero is very wise, so I gave him the name Senzero," he said.

Cultural pride

The factory has 15 workers who can make about 100 dolls a day and although only recently launched, orders are already coming in, and Girma is confident that he can pay back his $60,000 loan within a year.

Girma Zelleke wants to restore the pride and dignity of Ethiopian children

But his plans do not just stop there - in his workshop, Girma has a dancing Chinese doll, and he hopes that within a year he will be able to copy the design and produce a dancing three-dimensional Senzero.

And this is not all about making money - for Girma it is a way of instilling cultural pride.

"Until now, and even when I was a kid, I was playing with foreign white dolls. We did not have black dolls and we did not imagine that there could a black doll," said Mr Zelleke.

"So, Senzero is a source of pride and when the kids see a black Ethiopian boy in their hands they start getting the feeling of pride and dignity in their minds".

Mickey Mouse

Girma is also dreaming of bigger things: more merchandising, more characters and a larger studio.

Girma Zelleke is dreaming of even bigger things

He also remembers that even Walt Disney had to start somewhere.

"First when you start everything it is miniature and small... even Walt Disney did not start from a very high situation," Mr Zelleke said.

"Now I have started... I am making a doll and I will have a series of videos and I hope it is a miniature Walt Disney in Ethiopia".

Senzero may not be about to step into Mickey Mouse's shoes, but at least he is someone Ethiopians can call their own.