Somerset Park siblings begin teddy bear drive for pediatric wards

SOMERSET Park siblings Tasmika and Akhil Mahabir are aiming to collect hundreds of teddy bears to donate to pediatric wards across Durban as part of the Teddy-Up Initiative.

Tasmika, a medical student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, started the initiative last year in the lead-up to Mandela Day.

The 23-year-old put out an appeal for donations of teddy bears across various social media platforms last year, and in a short space of time, she had collected 550 teddy bears to donate to various homes and clinics, bringing joy to children in need.

“My brother, who is a doctor, was working in the pediatric ward at King Edward Hospital and saw the need for the children who had been admitted to hospital. They were scared and uncomfortable. He suggested we widen the scope this year with the teddy-bear collection to include pediatric wards.

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“We’ve tempered our expectations for this year’s collection because so many people responded the last time. While it would be awesome to beat the 550 teddy bears, we are hoping to collect at least 250 this year. We have organised a few drop-off points to make it easier for residents to participate, and we are appealing to anyone who can help to donate either a preloved or new teddy bear for the collection,” she said.

For Tasmika’s brother, Akhil, the simple act of donating a teddy bear could change a child’s life.

“It is incredibly moving to see how a simple thing like a teddy-bear can put a smile on their face. All their worries seem to dissipate, and I’ve personally witnessed this having been a part of this initiative. We really hope residents support our drive as we aim to make a difference where we can. We are also appealing to any laundromats who would consider helping us with washing some of the pre-loved teddys,” he said.

The collection began on Monday, May 22 and will go on for a month.

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If you would like to contribute, there are several drop-off points, including the Umhlanga Hindu Society (46 Hambridge Avenue, Somerset Park), Caltex Gateway (Aurora Drive, uMhlanga) and the Kumari Shiksha’s Dance Institute (64 Grandmore Road, Grandmore Primary School, Phoenix) only on Saturdays.

You can also follow the initiative on Instagram (@teddyup_kzn).

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