Dr. Ray Taheri with toys he will be distributing to children in Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.
It’s not his first humanitarian mission, but it comes at a time when hope and joy are needed more than ever for children caught in international conflict and strife, says UBC Okanagan Engineering professor Dr. Ray Taheri.
In early January, just in time for the Orthodox Christmas season, Dr. Taheri will travel from Kelowna, BC, to Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, visiting cities such as Străşeni, Chișinău, Oradea, Alparea, Saldabagiu and others along the way, where he will donate gifts of toys to schools, orphanages, and churches.
It’s a repeat mission for Dr. Taheri, who delivered gifts throughout the region last year.
“This trip is a continuation of a mission that is very near and dear to my heart and my family,” said Dr. Taheri. “I have collected more than a hundred stuffed toys over the past two years as part of this mission. These will be given to children whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the war. The ongoing conflict has stripped over five million children of the joy and wonder of the holiday season.”
Brightening the lives of children in war-torn Ukraine holds deep personal significance to Dr. Taheri and his family.
“I have two daughters, aged 6 and 10, who are half-Ukrainian. This year, they included only one gift on their wish lists and donated the rest to children affected by war. I have promised them the ultimate Christmas gift: photos of children overseas holding the toys they shared.”
The long-time UBCO professor also hopes his acts of kindness will resonate and inspire another group of young people who look to him for guidance – his students.
“For my students—who I consider my extended family—this mission is a gentle reminder of the importance of being kind over clever, compassionate over passionate, and embracing humanity alongside technology,” said Dr. Taheri.
This week, while supporting those students through another busy exam period, Dr. Taheri is busy packaging up the toys at UBCO, complete with a gift created by a number of those same students.
UBCO engineering students 3D-printed toys for Dr. Taheri to deliver to Ukrainian children.
“I’m decorating the stuffed animals with pin-back buttons made by our students in UBCO Makerspace. They also 3D printed several intricate dragon toys in the colours of the Ukranian flag. This is a collaborative and symbolic gesture to crystalize our support and solidarity as a community and country for those who have lost their livelihood. The fact that our students took time out of their busy lives to help support this initiative by making the buttons is very heartwarming for me. I’m proud that these buttons will be out in the world as an example of how our UBC Okanagan engineers care.”
Dr. Taheri’s generosity doesn’t stop at gifts for the children.
Two Years ago, he also donated his time and expertise as a teacher and an engineer – helping to set up makerspaces and provide training to students and educators.
In fact, over the course of his three-week journey in 2023, Dr. Taheri built makerspace facilities in four different high- and middle schools and trained large groups of students on how to run and use them. He also led workshops for over 120 educators at the University of Oradea in Romania and pre-paid 1,000 lunches at a school in nearby Cefa.
If you are interested in supporting his mission, Dr. Taheri started a GoFundMe, Merry Christmas RUM, with the target of $5000 by Jan. 7th 2025 (Orthodox Christmas).
Photos: Jordy Cunningham/Black Press Media.