Old Orchard Blossoms
Inspired by the amazing grandmothers from Africa at the Grandmothers Gathering in Toronto, in 2006, a handful of women at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church decided to support the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and its Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign . Our mandate is to raise awareness of the grandmothers’ supportive role in the HIV and AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa and to raise funds to assist grassroots projects run by and for grandmothers supporting their grandchildren and other orphans created by this pandemic. These grandmothers are central to the life of their communities and to a whole generation of children.
Since 2006, our numbers have grown to 18 members, and we have expanded to include women from the community. To date, we have raised $280,000 – our contribution to the more than $40 million raised for the Grandmothers Campaign by 10,000 grandmothers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. This money has been raised through a variety of projects such as concerts, pub nights, author talks, wine tasting, afternoon tea, an African dinner and sales of greeting cards, crafts, quilts, jewelry, books and milkweed plants, and by participating each year in the national fundraising walk, Stride to Turn the Tide.
Stephen Lewis Foundation
The Stephen Lewis Foundation is a progressive, feminist organization rooted in the principles of social justice, international solidarity, and substantive equality. The SLF was created with the express purpose of supporting community-led organizations working on the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
Many of these grassroots organizations were originally formed by small groups of individuals responding to the crisis AIDS had wrought in their own lives and in the lives of their neighbours. Over the years, they have developed into thriving local institutions with deep connections to their communities. The SLF’s community-led partners are turning the tide of HIV and AIDS by providing care and support to women, orphaned children, LGBTIQ individuals, grandmothers and people living with HIV and AIDS.
Since 2003, the SLF has partnered with 335 community-led organizations on more than 2100 initiatives in the 15 countries in Africa that have been hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.
Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign was launched in 2006, as an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, in response to the emerging crisis faced by grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2006, more than $40 million has been raised in support of grandmothers and the community-led organizations who support them. In the face of discrimination based on gender, age, and HIV status, they are courageous advocates for their families and communities.
Other Toronto and GTA Grandmother Groups
There are several grandmother groups in and near Toronto and we all support the same cause – the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. We often put on events or sales together, and each group is involved in selling original items to support our work. All groups welcome new members. You might be interested in checking out these other groups:
Grandmothers Partnering with Africa https://grandmotherspartneringwithafrica.com/
Brookbanks for African Grannies https://www.brookbanksforafricangrannies.com/
Toronto Grandmothers Embrace https://torontograndmothersembrace.ca/
GranAurora http://granaurora.ca/
Togogos https://www.togogograns.org/