| Advanced Search |
Classifieds |
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 (1 ratings submitted)
Grandmothers to Grandmothers CampaignCountry
Canada
Region
Africa
Programme Summary
Communication StrategiesThe Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign centres around a call to action, which more than 220 groups of Canadian grandmothers have answered by joining together to raise awareness and funds. Groups have also been formed in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The groups are encouraged to:
Here is an example of one group's activities, which illustrates some of the key communication strategies. The "Glacier Grannies" in Comox Valley, Vancouver Island (Canada), released a coffee table book titled "Planting Seeds of Hope: Textile Art from the Heart", a coffee table book produced by the North Island Quilters for Community Awareness to raise money for the Grandmothers Campaign. The quilters created 40 pieces of art in response to stories of grandmothers in Africa raising their orphaned grandchildren. The quilts respond to the question "Who Will..?" when a whole generation has been lost to AIDS. The works of art, with accompanying stories, are presented in an African motif soft cover book. The textile art was also displayed at a gallery; the individual art pieces were auctioned off in October 2008, with proceeds going to the Grandmothers Campaign. Intercultural connection is encouraged. In October 2007, 8 African grandmothers from 4 countries visited British Columbia to meet with groups. Then, in March 2008, a delegation of 12 Canadian grandmothers traveled to Africa to visit SLF projects in Uganda, South Africa, and Swaziland. On March 25 2009, a Day of African and Canadian Solidarity drew more than 50 groups of Canadian and African grandmothers to different cities to perform a symbolic act of solidarity. Their goal was to draw attention to the crucial role that African grandmothers play in raising many of the 11.6 million children who have lost one or both of their parents to HIV/AIDS, and to call attention to the need for increased support. A trilogy of films - "Grandmothers: The Unsung Heroes of Africa", "A Generation of Orphans", and "Women: The Face of AIDS" - illustrates SLF's support to grassroots HIV/AIDS initiatives. Development IssuesChildren, Women, HIV/AIDS. Key PointsAs of May 2009, the campaign had raised more than US$6 million for African grandmothers and the children in their care. According to organisers, Sub-Saharan Africa had an estimated 13 million children orphaned by AIDS in 2006; this number is expected to reach 18-20 million by 2010. Amidst the overwhelming needs, grandmothers have stepped up to take on the care of children left destitute and alone. With hardly any resources, the grandmothers of Africa are at the heart of the community response to the AIDS pandemic. In some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, between 40% and 60% of orphans live in grandparent-headed households; the vast majority of them are cared for by grandmothers. PartnersThe United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). ContactJulie Coultas
Grandmothers Campaign Coordinator
Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF)
260 Spadina Avenue
Toronto ON
M5T 2E4
Canada
Tel: 416 533 9292
Fax: 416 850 4910
SourceAF-AIDS e-newsletter, March 14 2006; SLF website, September 4 2006; Grandmothers Campaign Fact Sheet [PDF]; and Grandmothers Campaign website on May 28 2009. Image: copyright Liz Marshall. Placed on the Communication Initiative site September 04 2006 Last Updated May 28 2009 How useful did you find the knowledge and contacts on this page to your work? Post your comments (review comments from others below):Top 5 Related Pages for this Summary |
Special FocusHIV Media Exposure Risks
What reception or risks do HIV-positive people in your community face when their status is exposed in the media? (You may choose more than one; please add clarifying comments.)
|