Founder Tracy Clevenger, a flight attendant for the past 20 years, has a personal as well as professional passion for traveling. While planning a trip to Africa in 2004, Tracy decided it would be fun to make some soft flannel ragdolls to take to the girls at the orphanage she was going to visit. Not a seamstress or pattern maker, the first few dolls looked pretty sad until friends came over and helped decorate them.

 

Each of the doll makers put a little of their own personality into the dolls they decorated. Some women wrote love messages on their doll's bellies, others painted on doll undergarments, and one young doll maker, Rachael, wrote a lovely letter to her doll recipient. After the group had finished decorating and painting a total of 10 dolls, the ragdolls took on their own character, each beautiful in its own way.

 

While the group was fashioning their doll creations, Tracy considered how the young girls receiving the dolls might react. What she did not anticipate, however, were the strong feelings of connection between the dolls' creators and the children. It was that connection that helped One Doll get started. In particular, it's the story of a young girl named Phides Chibuye.   

While in Zambia on her 2004 trip to Africa, tracy met an eight-year-old girl named Phides Chibuye. this little girl, who lived at the Garment of Praise Children's home, received the one doll that Tracy had decorated herself. Although Tracy did not get the chance to spend much time with Phides, this young girl's courage and love of live resonated with her.

 

Sadly, chronic liver disease ended the little girl's life just two months after she and Tracy were introduced. But their brief friendship inspired Tracy to found One Doll, so that little girls around the world could have the chance to hold and love a soft, handcrafted doll of their own.

 

Read more about Phides Chibuye here.   

Tracy created the Skwishi doll in honor of her young friend, Phides. Tracy explains, "The doll's name is Phides Smith, but she has the nickname Skwishi because she is soft, cuddly and squishy. Her story is that she was born in Ndola, Zambia and adopted by the Smith family in Denver, Colorado. Skwishi's mom is a flight attendant so naturally, she loves traveling. She has a journal that tells all about her life and adventures~riding a bike, skiing, going to school and making ragdolls to take to Africa."

 

http://www.onedoll.blogspot.com/.