Meet Rafiki Lion! The lion who will fund a school!

Rafiki Lion is our first collaboration with Rafiki Mwema. When you purchase Rafiki Lion we will donate directly to Rafiki Mwema and help them build their new school.

This is a special project that is dear to our hearts; assisting the rehabilitation of children in Kenya.

We have a special friend Sarah Rosborg (Artist) who has self started Kenyan charity Rafiki Mwema with Ann-Marie Tipper (Child Psychologist).

For years, they have tirelessly campaigned and fundraised for the children and even rescued them on the ground in Kenya!

They are inspirational people and O.B. Designs wanted to do something meaningful to help that wasn't just sending a cheque every month (we've been sponsors for years) so we got together and custom designed a Toy Lion named Rafiki.

The idea was that Rafiki Wmema (Swahili for "Loyal Friend") needed a Mascot and a Lion soft toy perfect!
In Kenya, a Lion is a symbol of Power and Pride and is on their coat of arms. When the kids come to Rafiki the are broken and it is Sarah and Anne-Marie's mission to be a Loyal Friend and give them their power and pride back through love and education.

The attached image is one of the kids at "Kings and Queens Castle" with Rafiki (meaning Friend in Swahili) . They were VERY excited to see a toy created just for them and its a LION! We hope this is going to give them the strength they need and they can feel the love in the softness of this beautiful lion made just for them!

Our Aim with this special project is to fund the building of the new school on their farm in Kenya. We want to try and keep them as safe a possible and this school very important to their welfare.

For the purchase of each toy, we donate money directly to Rafiki Mwema. Whether it is wholesale or retail the donation is the same.

Some of the ambassadors of this wonderful charity are Constance Hall and Celeste Barber.

We would love for Life Instyle to get behind these kids and get this school built! We have 750 lions to sell and this will make a HUGE difference in the future of the Rafiki children!
Rafiki Lion Best Mate Plush Toys Australia
Each toy features a more detailed design and longer fabrics than our infant toy range.


Best Mate toys have been thoroughly "kid-tested" for cuteness, huggability and snuggle factor! In fact, we handed over the reins to the year 5 kids at our local school in Byron Bay. As always, the kids were brutally honest and only the best made the cut.

The kids also named and created each character's poem

Plush Toys Australia SAFETY & CARE
Safety Tested for children 3+ years

Machine Wash


More Plush Toys Australian options
If you're looking to add to your great "huggie" collection, head over to our Stuffed Animals Plush Toys Fox - Phoebe Fox Huggie your baby will absolutely adore! If you're looking for a pink bunny then OB Designs' Stuffed Animals Plush Toys Bunny Pink - Betsy Bunny Huggie is the best choice.

OB Designs Baby Soft & Plush Toys & Product Features

- all our products are created with childrens needs being priority.

- it is also paramount that all our fabrics are soft and tactile, designed to soothe and comfort.

- crochet blankets capture this, being hand-made and from 100% natural materials.



OB Designs Baby Soft & Plush Toys Story
Starting from humble beginnings selling hand-made teething rattles at the Byron local artisan markets in 2008, O.B designs has grown to produce an extensive range of nursery toys and dcor now sold internationally. The core values and ethos of O.B designs, however, are still unchanged. Now with three beautiful children, and my husband being a primary school teacher, all our products are created with childrens needs being priority. Our toys and crochet come from a place of love. The design process is initiated by thinking about who it is for and what they need and we then work back from there.

It is also paramount that all our fabrics are soft and tactile, designed to soothe and comfort. The crochet blankets capture this, being hand-made and from 100% natural materials. Likewise, we are committed to creating products that are ethical and sustainable. All the packaging is compostable, made from cotton and recycled cardboard while our toy manufacturer is Sedex accredited. This means they are a proven ethical business, from employee wages, work health safety to environmental impact.

The latest challenge at OB Designs? To create products that can make the world a better place. We are currently developing a range of soft toys where a portion of sales is donated to the Kenyan Charity Rafiki Mwema, which cares for vulnerable children. Our aim with every toy sold is to help pay for their housing, where they are rehabilitated and loved, as well as donating a soft toy for each child. We are also committed to donating toys to Foster Children in our local region in the Northern Rivers.

We hope you enjoy the products as much as we love creating them.

Kate xxx