Social Worker Who Hated Her Frizzy Hair Creates Dolls With Afros To Teach Young Girls To Love Their Looks

When Widline Pyrame was a little girl, she hated her appearance. 

Looking through the pages of magazines and seeing adverts on television, all Widline wanted was to have straight hair. 

Now the 30-year-old from Boston, Massachusetts, has learnt to embrace her natural hair. So much so, she has created a line of dolls with Afro hair to empower other little black girls. 

But for a nine-year-old Widline, who grew-up in Haiti before moving to Boston, she wanted desperately to fit in. 

“I struggled with my self-esteem and confidence as a child,” she admits.

“I thought I wasn’t beautiful enough because of my dark skin and hair texture, which led me to want straight hair so badly – just like they did in the magazines.”

Widline mother’s often used chemical relaxer to make her hair straight. One day in a desperate attempt to straighten her locks, Widline put the relaxer all over her head.

It causes all her hair to fall out – leaving her bald. 

“I used my mother’s products all over my hair, hoping that it would be silky smooth. Instead it all fell out, and she was furious!”

PA Real Life/Anael Milhomme

But one day a important gift changed her outlook about herself forever. 

Her uncle bought Widline and her sister Youselord a black doll to share.

“One day my uncle got us a black doll to share. We were so shocked to see that one existed that we just stared at her in amazement.”

Widline never forgot the remarkable piece of representation gifted to her by her uncle.

So much so, while training to become a social worker, she was determined to give young black girls a positive self image. 

The young woman set out to make her own range of black dolls, each with a beautiful, natural Afro.

“I currently have four different dolls on offer. The first is Kenara, a Haitian girl who is all about celebrating the national flag and heritage.”

“Malikalia is an African doll, whose name means angel. Adelaida is a bi-racial girl who represents the different backgrounds black girls come from, and Nevah is another Haitian doll who loves celebrating Haitian independence day on January 1 as it was the first black country to gain independence.”

Widline is now hoping to start making bespoke dolls for her clients.

“It would be a dream for me to learn how to sew the dresses myself and see my clients get the exact style they want.”

“It would mean a lot for my customers and their children to feel represented as I didn’t when I was little – even if it means just seeing different skin colours, clothing and hair texture.”

“I want them to finally feel visible, comfortable and unique.”