The Artists

Ennia Chikudza

Ennia used to knit and crochet her own dolls in her hometown of Kadoma, Zimbabwe, where she and her four siblings lived with their single mom on a farm. She followed her husband to South Africa in 2010, and is now proud to co-provide for their two children by creating  Taunina teddy bears. It’s a far cry from her previous life, where she was picking beans for a living.

“Life before Taunina wasn’t easy. My life has improved, but I’m still trying to help my mum back home. She is looking after my kids and I miss them. She’s the one who was there for me and my brothers, so now I’m trying my best to help her financially and be there for her.”

“I want to go back to school and study at night because even though I was good at school when I was growing up, there was no money for the school fees, so I had to leave and work on the farm. Education is the key to everything and my dream is to improve mine.”

Being a beach lover, life in Cape Town has allowed her more time to be near the ocean. She enjoys simple pleasures such as cooking and reading.