Floydie Bear started 2006 thinking about Africa after being introduced to a determined 17 year-old named Olyvia. Her family home in Kampala, Uganda burned down and she lost her father. Her mother, blind from cataracts, was struggling to support her family. Olyvia, just one year to qualifying for a government sponsored nursing program, feared daily that she would be asked to leave school due to unpaid fees. Determined to finish school and get help for her curably blind mother, Olyvia wrote a letter to a large company in Canada asking for help. The letter was passed down to an SVP who paid her tuition and then it ended up in Floydie Bear's paws.
The teddies got to work doing their favourite thing - eating and making Certified Teddy Bear Poop. The teddies traded the Certified Teddy Bear Poop with hungry humans for donations of money.
Thanks to all the generous teddies and people who made (and ate!) Certified Teddy Bear Poop and donated money, Olyvia bought all necessities for her school year. Sister Kiwanuka, a nurse at East Africa International Hospital, worked with Floydie Bear ensuring that Olyvia's mother's operation was booked and paid for, giving her sight again. Finally, Olyvia bought her nursing books for her upcoming year of studies.
Upon finishing her nursing program, Olyvia's goal is to open her own medical clinic and, in addition to supporting her mother and helping her siblings, she aims to help at least one orphan per year.
Olyvia is an amazing person, at only 17 she is wise past her years. When Floydie Bear had crumply, grumpy faced days she supported him and offered her late-father's valuable wisdom and other encouraging words. Among Floydie Bear's favourites are:

"Roses may have thorns but are still beautiful. The greatest joys and pleasures in life  are often accomplished by little pains”

“We are given a fresh start not only at the beginning of any given year, but every morning when we wake up and we have a chance to start anew and make things right"

“ It’s how you handle your problems and troubles that counts not the troubles themselves”




Floydie Bear will continue to help Olyvia help herself - and others - and is making one of his goals to visit Africa to see first-hand how he can help more effectively.

Many caring people delivered teddies to Floyd's Teddy Bear Academy again this year. Alli washed the teddies and repaired injured ones.
The teddies passed their classes with Brownie, Fuzzy and Fudge with flying fur and the graduation parties were giggly affairs!
After a squishy good-bye, teddies made their way to community outreach centres in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras as well as to a free medical clinic in Bolivia.
Floyd's Teddy Bear Academy has already started new classes! Our next graduation is just before Easter when the entire class will be sent to Central America.
In the coming year intake and training will continue and Floydie Bear is looking at new ways the Floyd's Teddy Bear Academy Graduates can help.

Floydie Bear says his future is so bright he has to wear shades and contends that 2007 is just the beginning. - Of what? - He didn't say...but here's what we know so far:

Floyd's Teddy Bear Academy will continue to:

• Send graduates who need children to the children who need them
• Support Olyvia's endeavors and look at helping other children in similar circumstances.
• Expand the view from his world through his new, more sophisticated Floydie Cam.

Most importantly, this year Floydie Bear is going to focus on expanding his product line and building his teddy bear empire so that he can afford to spend more time and resources helping humans - help teddies - help humans.