Creator / originator

Members of the Morinville HATS – grandmothers to grandmothers group.

Summary / objectives

To raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s grandmothers to grandmothers campaign.

Background

Africa has become a continent of orphans – AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa has orphaned 14.8 million children under the age of 18. In the midst of this devastation, grandmothers have emerged as the ‘unsung heroes’ of Africa.

They bury their own children and then in their fifties, sixties and seventies become parents to their grandchildren with little or no support. In some countries throughout southern Africa, 40 to 60 per cent of orphans live in a household headed by a grandmother. These courageous, resilient women have no time to grieve. Their priority is the next generation: the infants, toddlers and teenagers who are left behind. Although there is never enough for their burgeoning households, somehow these grandmothers attempt to feed, clothe and comfort their grandchildren.

Groups of grandmothers are at the heart of the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s grandmothers to grandmothers campaign. The campaign was launched in March 2006 with the aim of raising awareness, building solidarity and mobilising support in Canada for African grandmothers and the orphaned children in their care.

Since the launch hundreds of groups have raised funds through events such as the ‘share our bounty’ garage and silent auction hosted by the Morinville HATS – grandmothers to grandmothers group. All the items were donated and there were hundreds. Among the most interesting was a set of 10 vintage 1948 tiny animal Golden Books. These are called Tiny Golden books because they measure only 2” x 3” and were the first series in the Tiny Golden Library, published by Simon and Schuster and later reprinted under Golden Press.

The event was organised by eight of the 14 HATS members, who organised everything from unpacking boxes, setting up the stalls and tables, keeping them fresh and full, making sure that everyone was having a good time and taking part, looking after cash, even cooking onions and hot dogs. 

Special characteristics

Thousands of grandmothers all over Canada have taken the opportunity to do something to ease the plight of their counterparts in Africa. ‘Granny bulletins’, organised by the Stephen Lewis Foundation, are regular email updates that aim to keep the volunteers connected to, and informed about, each other and the grandmothers and grassroots projects in Africa, which are supported through their dedicated fundraising and awareness-raising efforts.

Influence / impact

There are now 240 groups of grandmothers throughout Canada and the number is growing all the time. There is no fixed format for groups – each varies in size and scope. They all provide a forum for grandmothers (and their partners, friends and grandmothers in waiting) to share ideas, raise awareness, fundraise and act as advocates and ambassadors for their African counterparts.

Results

The Morinville group (not far from Edmonton, Alberta) has been organising events for the campaign for five years and in that time has raised almost CAD 14,000. In the spring of 2010 approximately 140 groups of grandmothers across Canada took part in ‘stride to turn the tide’. They walked over 12,000 kilometres and raised close to $400,000 in support of the grandmothers of sub-Saharan Africa The campaign overall has raised $12 million since 2006.

Merits

Grandparents are often seen by many charities to be natural donors of time, money, or both. These grandmothers to grandmothers groups have focused on connecting people from opposite sides of the world and in dramatically different circumstances, possibly who have little in common except one thing: love of their grandchildren.