Review of Hearts For Hearts Doll Rahel From Ethiopia

PRODUCT DETAILS:

UPC:  043377131366
Recommended Age:  6+ (Choking hazard should be taken seriously as these dolls really do have small items)
Put out by:  Playmates Toys
Manufacture Date: 2012
Information:  A portion of the purchase price goes to World Vision to help children worldwide through education, water, hygiene, microenterprise, community development, and disaster relief.
Contents: 1 Fifteen inch doll with diamond shaped orange jewel earrings, 5 plastic bead necklaces in different colors (light blue, red, dark blue), dark yellow short-sleeved body shirt (it is like a dancing outfit as it has a crotch closure), red wrap skirt with design and fringe on bottom, 4 plastic bracelets of various colors of blue, 2 red cord bracelets, sandals, pink and purple friendship bracelet, blue comb with rubber band, a code to join a kid-safe website to play games, and a booklet.
Skin Color:  Black
Nationality:  Ethiopian
Eye Color:  Brown, eyes do not close, painted eyelashes
Hair Color and Style:  Black, tight curly afro
Size:  15 inches
Movement:  Typical baby doll--head goes up and down/side to side, arms go up and down/back and forth, legs go up and down, elbows and knees do not bend.  Doll can stand on her own and sit down if you prop her against something or put her hands behind her.
Doll composition:  Vinyl
Doll biography:  Rahel is ten years old and luckier than most Ethiopians.  Her village has a school.  Her family has adequate shelter and owns cows.  Frequent droughts, though, destroy crops and cause people to not have enough food.  When it does rain, they are plagued by mosquitoes who bring malaria.  Rahel's mother was trained by the government to become a health care worker so she can tend to the people in her village.  She does malaria tests, basic check-ups, and gives out medicine, food packets, and malaria nets.  Rahel hopes to follow in her footsteps. 
Websites:  www.hearts4heartsgirls.com; www.playmatestoys.com;
www.worldvision.org
Problems:  Hearts for Hearts Dolls are generally well made and a great way to introduce children to other cultures and the concept of charity.  However, as far as longevity, there are two problems.  One, the eyes--which seem to be like glass or marbles--can turn a different color over time.  My Tipi's eyes started out brown and turned purple (See my review of Hearts for Hearts Lauryce in my February 2014 archive).  The skin also can become grayish or paler over time, which can make dark-skinned dolls look like zombies.
Availability:  Rahel is now out of production and no longer sold in regular stores.  You can find her on ebay and Amazon, but because she is rare and relatively popular, she can be quite expensive.  I paid $74.90 for this doll, which I bought from Amazon.

There were two dolls I wanted from the Hearts for Hearts collection when they first came out.  One was Tipi from Laos, and the other was Rahel.  I bought Tipi when she was available at Target, but I didn't buy Rahel.  At the time, she seemed plentiful--and I had just discovered Journey Girls.  I didn't realize that Hearts for Hearts put out a series of dolls and that was it.  Each year has a different set.  Journey Girls are put out every year in a different outfit, so you can always get a version of the same doll (though some people prefer a certain year, and so far Jordana has not been re-released).  Years later, I kicked myself for not getting Rahel when I could--when she was still $25.

Rahel had not started out very popular at stores, but suddenly she became popular.  Of course, she was out of print...Tipi is also very expensive.  Not all the 2010-2012 dolls, though, are.  You can still get Nahji, Dell, and Consuelo pretty cheap.  At one point, Rahel was over $100.  Though I had wanted her, I didn't want to pay that much for her...particularly as I knew about the problems Hearts for Hearts dolls had with their skin tone and eyes.  With Rahel, this is a big consideration.  As her skin pales and gets grayish, she can look like a zombie.  Also, unlike the other dolls, they don't recommend brushing her hair...but fluffing it with a fine comb.  There was also the problem with the eyes turning an unusual color.  My Tipi's eyes turned purple, and they started out brown.

Finally, they started going down in price a little bit.  They are expensive, but they are now under $100...which is more reasonable.  It seemed, though, I was destined not to have one.  I found one on Amazon and ordered it.  A week later, it still had not shipped.  I wrote to Amazon, and they replied that the seller didn't have it in stock and it was on back order.  However, the seller still kept advertising that he had one to sell.  These dolls are out of print.  You can't put them on back order.

This disappointment, though, turned out to be an advantage.  I found another one on Amazon for ten dollars less than the original one I had ordered.  This seller delivered, and I finally had my Rahel.  I paid more than I would have if I had only gotten her years ago, but it balances out because later I was able to get Nahji, Consuelo, and Zelia for $15.00 a piece.  You may spend in one area, but you save in another.

Though Rahel may suffer the flaws of the Hearts for Hearts more than the other dolls, she is also beautiful in detail.  Generally, Hearts for Hearts dolls are not appealing for their clothing.  Though their clothing is authentic to the culture, it is their daily wear.

Rahel, though, does have beautiful details.  Her earrings are not as striking as some of the other dolls, but other details are nice.  She wears a lot of jewelry.  She has several beaded necklaces, though they don't look like they can be removed.  The plastic and corded bracelets suit her.  The outfit is particularly well made.  Her sandals are textured and fit snugly, so she doesn't lose her sandals like Tipi always does.  Overall, she is impressive.  The other dolls...sometimes you feel like their clothing was made from donated cast off fabric.

I found Rahel's story particularly poignant.  The booklet gave more detail than what is common.  I can relate to Rahel more because I remember, growing up, seeing the commercials about Ethiopian children.  For just the price of a cup of coffee (and they weren't even talking about a Starbucks coffee!), you could sponsor a child.  They would get food, medicine, and education.  You would get letters from them, and if you called within the next thirty minutes...you'd get a free gift.  South Park would do their own tribute to these old commercials with their Starvin' Marvin episodes.

What was nice about the booklet is that it gave more information about why the Ethiopians are in the predicament they are in.  This was one thing the commercials never did.  As a child, I couldn't understand why the Ethiopians stayed in a place that didn't have food.  Why didn't they get into their cars and move somewhere else that grew food?  Why don't they use the change people send them to buy a bus ticket?  I wasn't callous...I just didn't understand the total problem.  After all, when people in America lost their jobs or weren't making money, it seemed moving was the way to remedy the situation...at least in those days.

My mother never understood why people would send money to help those in need in other countries when there were plenty of starving people in our own country.  Of course, maybe our starving were not quite in as bad of circumstances.  Still, down the street from me, there was a woman who had six children.  The family ran out of food by Wednesday.  The children were popular, and they probably made themselves agreeable playmates because they learned early on it was a good way to get fed.

Hearts for Hearts dolls represent girls from different countries--including the United States.  Through their stories, we learn that the world is full of problems--and there are plenty of ways to help your fellow human beings.  To give selflessly is a virtue, but neither do you have to go to another country to find those in need.  What is nice, though, is that even by purchasing this doll...you are helping others--and it is truly a win-win situation.