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In 2006, the Stephen Lewis Foundation has launched the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign to raise awareness and mobilize support in Canada for Africa’s grandmothers. The Canadian Federation of University Women of Sherbrooke and District (CFUWSD) is one of such groups of grandmothers.Since the launch, more than 240 groups of Canadian grandmothers have taken up the call to action and to raise funds. The Stephen Lewis Foundation directs these funds to community-level organizations in 15 sub-Saharan African countries to provide support to grandmothers, such as food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren and grief counselling.
The CFUWSD as an organization serves as a support network that strives to advocate, militate and create awareness about the devastating effects of AIDS in Africa. One of the present consequences from the AIDS epidemic is the sad reality that a large proportion of the grandmothers have to take care of their grandchildren because their children have died from AIDS. Unfortunately, not many people across the world are aware of this reality.
CFUWSD is part of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign. Canadian Grandmothers are ambassadors and the voice for the African Grandmothers abroad. Their work consists of advocating the needs and concerns of African grandmothers, mobilizing the people and turning their attention to this cause. They are also a support network. Grandmothers to Grandmothers are active locally as well as globally. They have proven that they are capable of mobilizing people and creating awareness by advocating education, collaboration and solidarity.
For more information on the Stephen Lewis Foundation, visit:
www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
For more information on the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, visit:
www.grandmotherscampaign.org
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Advocating locally for change'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has'.
Margaret Mead
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Interview with Heather Keith, member of the CFUWSD Grannies27 September 2010
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Canadian Federation of University Women of Sherbrooke and District Grannies inside Green's Café8 October 2010
Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada
Credits:Photograph by Chloe Southam
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The AfriGrand Caravan is one activity organized by the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign to which the CFUWSD Grannies have contributed. The AfriGrand Caravan bears witness to these women's involvement in advocating for change.6
AfriGrand Caravan Poster 20102010
Credits:Private collection of Chloe Southam
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The AfriGrand Caravan traveling across Canada stopped in Sherbrooke on September 15th 2010.The aim of the AfriGrand Caravan was to raise awareness about AIDS while traveling throughout Canada, including 40 stops from St. John's, N.L. to Victoria, B.C. The AfriGrand Caravan was advocating for creating awareness across the country about ‘turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.’ Speaking to various local communities as they were traveling, each of the 40 stops during this tour represented a community where a branch of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign existed. The voyage of the AfriGrand Caravan proved the solidarity of the Grandmothers of Canada with the Grandmothers of Africa. Canadian grandmothers want to get involved; they have great experience, knowledge and tools to contribute to this cause.Many different people joined the cross-Canada trek to raise awareness about AIDS. Regina and Nkulie are two women from South Africa who traveled throughout Canada with AfriGrand Caravan to raise awareness. Regina is the Executive Director of TATENI, a Home Care Nursing service in Mamelodi, South Africa. Regina says: 'TATENI is a program that services an entire family impacted by HIV and AIDS and not just the person in the family who is ill. This is how Nkulie came under the care of TATENI.' She mentions how she finds it very important to visit people in their own home so she can see the true context of their lives and needs. Nkulie Mathilda Nowathe was born in 1992 and is currently being raised by her grandmother. Her mother fell ill in 2008 and was a client of TATENI Home Care Nursing Services until 2010, when she passed away from an AIDS-related condition. Nkulie now also attends TATENI’s drop-in centre where she receives grief counselling and education about HIV/AIDS. Nkulie, speaking as a client of TATENI, reminds us of the pain and triumph of the human spirit of so many youngsters in communities in Africa, struggling to deal with the aftermath of so much loss and uncertainty. When asked about how she thinks the cure will be discovered and how she thinks hope can be preserved Nkulie says that this can be accomplished 'by helping each other, sharing ideas with each other, communicating with each other globally.'
One of the main goals of CFUWSD as a group affiliated with the Stephen Lewis foundation is to raise awareness about AIDS and help grandmothers in Africa. The CFUWSD Grannies group has weekly gatherings and they regularly meet to participate in various activities such as arts and crafts workshops. An example of this is that they create hand-made ‘angels.’ The proceeds from the sale of these angels go toward furthering the cause of the Grandmothers in Africa by helping found grassroots projects and bring moral and financial support to the African Grandmothers and their community.
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Canadian Federation of University Women of Sherbrooke and District Grannies making angels2010
Credits:Photograph by Chloe Southam
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Canadian Federation of University Women of Sherbrooke and District Grannies making necklaces2010
Credits:Photograph by Chloe Southam
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