Little Ndaba DSWF Adoption toys

In your David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) adoption pack, you have the option to add an adorable handmade toy from Zambia.

These ethically sourced, 100% African cotton toys are crocheted by over 100 women from small villages across the landlocked country. These ladies are employed by Little Ndaba, a local toy making company.  

Many of the Little Ndaba ladies share their home and resources with some of the wildlife DSWF works to protect, like elephants, painted dogs, and pangolins.

By making Little Ndaba our preferred toy supplier, DSWF is providing vulnerable families with an alternative livelihood to poaching whilst promoting a more peaceful coexistence between local communities and the species they share their home with. 

Stitch by stitch Little Ndaba is connecting children across the globe, and local communities, with wildlife. 

The Little Ndaba crochet toys

Crocheting is a skill set that has been passed down over generations in Zambia. Little Ndaba provides these women with an essential source of dignified income, so they can provide for their families, whilst using the local wildlife as inspiration.

How Little Ndaba works

Little Ndaba boasts a supply chain with integrity – each toy is handmade from start to finish and is entirely unique and bursting with character! 

By allowing women to work from home, they can maintain a work-life balance, and still take care of their families whilst crocheting. 

For every quirky toy sold, $2.50 is donated to local wildlife or environmental organisation. When you buy a Little Ndaba toy, you are contributing to the protection of the planet and supporting a Zambian woman to help provide for her family with dignity.

Meet the Little Ndaba crochetiers

Little Ndaba founder, Charlotte Barr was inspired to start this toy company by the orphan elephant Rufunsa, who is being rehabilitated by DSWF’s ground-based conservation partners, Game Rangers International (GRI).

In fact, the Conservation Collection supports GRI-Elephant Orphanage Project founded by DSWF.

African elephant adoptions

In this wonderful photograph, Mary holds our elephant adoption toys Chamilandu and Nkala.

Orphan elephants, Chamilandu and Nkala form part of Rufunsa’s surrogate elephant family at the Release Facility in Kafue National Park, Zambia.

Snow leopard adoption

Whilst snow leopards hail from the icy mountainscapes of Asia far away from the ‘Airconditioned State’ that is Zambia, the skilful ladies have no problem creating these silver felines.

Carol is holding our snow leopard adoption toy, one of our CEO Georgina Lamb’s personal favourites. Like Georgina, Carol is an integral member of Little Ndaba – she is in charge of coordinating women’s groups to crochet the toys.

Tiger adoptions

Remaining on the Asian continent, Little Ndaba joiner, Elina, smiles with DSWF’s two tiger adoption toys.

By taking out a DSWF tiger adoption you are helping DSWF protect these iconic big cats in India and Russia.

Painted dog adoption

In this lovely photograph Mary holds DSWF’s painted dog adoption toy.

Using teamwork just like painted dogs, dexterous joiners like Elina and Mary assemble the crochet pieces brought to the Little Ndaba workshop from across Zambia.

When you support DSWF by purchasing a painted dog adoption, you are helping communities live alongside these critically endangered tri-coloured carnivores. Painted dogs are arguably Africa’s most successful predators and can wreak havoc on livestock.

Chimpanzee adoption

Susan is holding DSWF’s special toy for western chimpanzees. When you purchase this chimpanzee adoption you are helping DSWF save a stronghold population of western chimpanzees in Guinea.

Sadly, our chimpanzee adoption is our least popular adoption, we’d hugely appreciate you supporting this intelligent keystone species.

Pangolin adoption

Being the most trafficked mammal in the world, the shy pangolin has been catapulted into news headlines over the course of 2020, for its initial association with the Covid-19 pandemic.

So understandably, they are now our most popular adoption species. DSWF works to protect ground and white-bellied pangolins in Zambia – Emily poses with our pangolin adoption toy.

Rhino adoption

Christine smiles whilst holding our rhino adoption toy. When you take out a rhino adoption, not only are you keeping Christine employed, but you are also helping protect the last remaining population of desert-adapted black rhino in Zambia’s neighbouring country, Namibia.

Watch this delightful video on how our adoption toys are made:

Included in your adoption pack are beautiful exclusive sketches drawn by prominent wildlife artists including Emily Lamb, David Shepherd, Mandy Shepherd and Jonathan Truss.