Tenby Powell reports from Ukraine, where bears knitted by New Zealand and Australian rest home residents are helping lift the spirits of displaced Ukrainian children.
How much can Yuri bear?
The short answer is a lot.
The longer answer, which will appeal to older and younger readers alike, led me to Ivankiv, an urban settlement situated on the left bank of the Teteriv River, some 90 kilometres north-west of Kyiv.
Importantly, and germane to this story, is that Ivankiv is 50kms south-west of Chernobyl, close to the city of Pripyat – the site of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion in April 1986.
And this is where Yuri comes in – Yuri the man, not the bear. Yuri was a 12-year-old boy and one of the many children evacuated when the power plant exploded, often dividing families for some time.
Now a lieutenant colonel of Ukrainian Police, Yuri was evacuated all the way to Victoria, Australia, and was 'adopted' by a loving Aussie family living in Melbourne.
Debra Richardson, a former police officer, became Yuri’s adoptive mum for three months in 1986. Many years later they found each other again through Facebook – and decided to do something for internally displaced Ukrainian children.
Introducing Yuri the bear.
Nowadays, Richardson is a senior executive with Ryman Healthcare. She and Yuri hatched an elaborate plan, requiring the cooperation of the Australian and New Zealand residents of Ryman Healthcare facilities.
The plan was to knit bears for Ukrainian children – and knit they did. They knitted like people possessed. Soon, the volunteers knitted a container full of the creatures. It’s now up to Kiwi K.A.R.E to distribute what have been lovingly called "Yuri Bears". We will do this as part of wider missions carrying humanitarian and medical aid.
Here are some of Ivankiv’s youngest residents being introduced to Yuri Bears and the story of Yuri, a young boy who lived just up the road during another challenging time in Ukraine’s history.
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* Tenby Powell is Director of charity Kiwi KARE (Kiwi Aid & Refugee Evacuation).
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