Pittsburgh Hello Hijab dolls catch worldwide attention of girls — and media

A new non-profit, For Good PGH, started out with a bang. Their first project, “Hello Hijab,” had the simplest of beginnings, but it’s gotten worldwide attention in just a few weeks.

Partners in For Good PGH, Giselle Fetterman and Kristen Michaels work to make Pittsburgh a kinder, more hospitable place for kids and parents. Their recently launched Hello Hijab dolls have caught global media attention, from The Huffington Post, CNN, German television, Hello Pakistan! Magazine, and even FOX News.

“My daughter has toys from all over the world, dolls with all kinds of skin colors, even one in a wheelchair,” Fetterman says. “We were looking one day and realized she didn’t have any dolls that looked like the mothers of her friends, the grandmothers of her friends.”

Some of those women are Muslim, who wear the traditional veil called a hijab. Fetterman wanted girls to see:  “Here’s this doll. She has a headscarf. Now she doesn’t. It’s the same doll underneath.”

It’s a gentle way to say, “We may look different on the outside, but underneath, we’re the same.”

Catch the complete story — and where to order dolls — at NEXTPittsburgh.