What is the Grandmothers Campaign
African grandmothers are central to the life of their communities. With almost no support, they have stepped forward to care for millions of children orphaned by AIDS, sometimes as many as ten to fifteen in one household. They display astonishing reserves of love, courage and emotional resilience, even while grieving the loss of their own adult children.
Canadians have raised an astonishing over $20 million for African grandmothers through the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Resources from the Campaign are invested directly at community level, with grassroots organizations that provide grandmothers and the children in their care with supports that include food, educational supplies, uniforms, medical care, HIV counselling and testing, adequate housing and bedding, counselling and support groups, home visits, and much more.
Here in Montreal, the West Hill Grandmothers Group has been active for over a decade. Our dedicated volunteers raise money to support the national Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign through concerts, African luncheons and bake sales.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation
The Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) works with community-level organizations which are turning the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa by providing care and support to women, orphaned children, grandmothers and people living with HIV and AIDS. Since 2003, we have funded over 1100 initiatives, partnering with more than 300 community-based organizations in the 15 African countries hardest hit by the pandemic.
These grassroots groups are the lifeline for their communities: they provide counselling and education about HIV prevention, care and treatment; distribute food, medication and other necessities; reach the sick and vulnerable through home-based health care; help orphans and vulnerable children access education and work through their grief; and support grandmothers caring for their orphaned grandchildren.