T-Shirts
This little tortoise was drawn in 2016 at a small school in Arusha, Tanzania, by a pupil following a school trip to Meserani Snake Park. We can only guess exactly what sort of tortoise it is. Judging by the shell pattern in the drawing, it could be a panther tortoise, as this species is named after its panther- or leopard-like shell pattern.
A true classic amongst our designs is our ELEPANT – let us correct that: ELEPHANT. The spelling mistake that crept into this lovely design from 2011 was carried over directly onto the T-shirt and remains one of our most popular designs to this day. Thanks to this design (alongside others), school fees have been paid, a new kitchen block has been built and a computer room has been set up in Arusha, Tanzania, over the last few years.
The Serengeti is renowned for its diverse wildlife. Particularly in the early morning hours during the dry season, many different inhabitants of the savannah make their way to the waterhole and stand shoulder to shoulder, just like on our SERENGETI T-shirt. The designs were created from 2009 onwards at various schools in Tanzania and Kenya and thus represent a small ‘best of’ selection of our motifs.
Our WANYAMA (Kiswahili for ‘animals’) T-shirt features a host of different animal inhabitants of East Africa. Zebras stand peacefully, shoulder to shoulder with rhinos and lions. This works perfectly, as the animals have known each other for a very long time. All the drawings were created between 2009 and the present day at various schools in Tanzania and Kenya.
The little monkey NYANI jumps out of a fabric pouch made from traditional Kitenge fabric, which contrasts sharply with the T-shirt. The NYANI motif was first created back in 2014 during a natural history lesson at a school in Tanzania, whilst the animals of the Serengeti were being discussed. This motif is a permanent feature of our collection, even though the design of the breast pocket changes from time to time.
JIKONI means ‘kitchen’ in Kiswahili. That is why this T-shirt features lots of small drawings of kitchen utensils and food items from everyday school life in Kenya. The drawings were created in 2021 at a school in Kangundo during home economics lessons and were produced by many different pupils.
The little monkey NYANI jumps out of a fabric pouch made from traditional Kitenge fabric, which contrasts sharply with the T-shirt. The NYANI motif was first created back in 2014 during a natural history lesson at a school in Tanzania, whilst the animals of the Serengeti were being discussed. This motif is a permanent feature of our collection, even though the design of the breast pocket changes from time to time.
Our WATAMU design was created during a normal school day in Watamu, Kenya, one of Africa’s oldest marine protected areas. There, the local organisation ‘Bahari Hai’ (Swahili for ‘Living Ocean’) educates schoolchildren about marine conservation projects, such as the protection of sea turtles. It was during one such lesson that the drawing of a small sea turtle emerged – one that is just leaving its nest and making its way to the ocean. By purchasing this special T-shirt, you are supporting the vital work of our partner organisation, Bahari Hai, in protecting these remarkable animals.
Is it a bicycle, a balance bike or perhaps a motorbike? We’re not sure, but we thought BAISIKELI (bicycle in Kiswahili) was the loveliest name for this little work of art, the original drawing of which, dating from 2018, measures just under 2 cm. The drawing was created following a school trip organised by the ‘Songa Mbele Na Masomo’ Children’s Centre to Nairobi’s most beautiful urban forest – the Karura Forest. After the trip, the pupils at this full-time residential centre for children with special needs drew what they had enjoyed most, and some of the children were clearly particularly fascinated by the bustling streets with their countless different modes of transport, such as buses, motorbikes and cars. Proceeds from the sale of this T-shirt and other designs created at the ‘Songa Mbele Na Masomo’ Children’s Centre were used to build a new wall around the school playground and construct paths that separate the centre from the neighbouring slum and make the playground accessible all year round, even for children in wheelchairs.
As this cat has such a wonderfully quirky look about it, we couldn’t get enough of it and printed it three times in different colours, slightly offset on top of one another. This creates a three-dimensional effect that really stands out on the Marsala-red T-shirt. The CAT design was created during a school lesson whilst discussing ‘Domestic Animals’ at a school in Nairobi, Kenya.
Is it a river hippo, or perhaps more of a honey cake horse? Given the broad grin on our HIPPO’s face (Kiswahili for ‘Kiboko’), this question might well spring to mind, as this little creature looks like the complete opposite of one of Africa’s most dangerous animals. A real Happy Hippo, in other words!
Our BABY-TURTLE design was created during a perfectly ordinary school day in Watamu, Kenya, one of Africa’s oldest marine protected areas. There, the local organisation ‘Bahari Hai’ (Swahili for ‘Living Ocean’) educates schoolchildren about marine conservation projects, such as the protection of sea turtles. It was during one such school lesson that the drawing of a small sea turtle just hatching from its nest was created. By purchasing this special T-shirt, you are supporting the vital work of our partner organisation Bahari Hai in protecting these remarkable animals.