Teddy bears to deliver joy

WHENEVER Tasmika and Akhil Mahabir felt unwell as children, they cuddled with their favourite teddy bears. The warmth from those hugs made them feel better.

Rekindling those memories, the siblings from Somerset Park in Umhlanga started the Teddy Up initiative in July last year.

Tasmika, 23, a final-year medical student at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, said they collected new and pre-loved teddy bears for underprivileged children.

“We started Teddy Up as a Mandela Day project last July and collected more than 550 teddies. The teddy bears were donated to more than 15 children’s organisations, including Phoenix Child Welfare and Sahara Women’s Shelter.

“The initiative this year was inspired by Akhil. He came up with the plan to donate to sick children in hospitals because he works at King Edward VIII Hospital and sees distressed kids every

day. We will distribute the teddy bears on Mandela Day on July 18.”

Akhil, 26, is a medical doctor who is currently serving his first-year internship.

“It is moving to see how a simple thing like a teddy bear can put a smile on children’s faces and bring them comfort,” he said.

The 2023 Teddy Up drive will run

until June 23.

The drop-off points are the Caltex Gateway on Aurora Drive in uMhlanga, the uMhlanga Hindu Temple, and Kumari Shiksha’s Dance Institute at 64 Grandmore Primary School in Phoenix (only on Saturdays).

For more information, visit Instagram/@TeddyUp.kzn or Facebook/Teddy Up.