The story behind our handmade wooden toys

The story behind our handmade wooden toys.

We believe that every girl deserves the chance to make her dreams a reality.

One of our community volunteers is helping make this happen by creating beautifully designed wooden toys which are now available for sale in our shop.

A Girl & her world partners with girls in Fiji, their families and the communities around them to increase access to education. Together we break cycles of poverty, but it couldn’t be done without our community.

Our community extends to the volunteers both in Fiji and Australia who make our work possible. 

One of the volunteers in our community is Andrew. 

Andrew grew up in Fiji and learnt his craft as an aircraft engineer when Fiji Airways was still flying wood and fabric aeroplanes. He became CEO of Fiji’s Blue Lagoon Cruises and built three ships for them in Suva. He then returned to Fiji Airways as CEO at the time of the first military coups.

Now semi-retired, he has returned to his love of engineering, woodworking and Fiji by making toys to raise funds for a Girl & her world, and communities in Fiji. 

“Living in Fiji I saw at first hand the need for the work of aGahw. They are right, education is the most important way to break the cycle of poverty, and educated girls help form sustainable and empowered communities.” Andrew says.

“I’m very pleased to help their valuable work in this small way and hope that your children and grandchildren will enjoy these toys just as much as I have enjoyed making them in my little workshop” he adds.

These sturdy wooden toys are made in his home workshop using traditional hand tools. No nails or screws, and no mechanical patterns or assembly lines are used. His toys are simply made of hand-worked recycled wood and glue.

Most of the wood this obtained from recycled floorboards, meaning no treated wood is used.

Because they are meticulously hand-made, they may take up to two weeks to complete and no two are precisely the same.

They come brightly painted or varnished to show the contrasting beauty of the different woods. They are fun, and they are tough to withstand many hours of play.

Visit our shop to purchase one of these beautiful and unique toys.