With support from the Stephen Lewis Foundation, thousands upon thousands of grandmothers across the continent are taking part in support groups, receiving regular food packages and money for school fees and supplies, starting small businesses and accessing vital health care services for themselves and their grandchildren. African grandmothers are increasingly being recognized as experts on orphan care and as agents of change, and are now actively influencing public policy and funding decisions.
Join the Campaign and support grandmothers in Africa.
Within the next five years, we will:
- Create a region-wide, interconnected force of grandmothers, recognized as community experts and agents of change by governments and international aid agencies.
- Support granny groups to access pensions, health care, food sources, counselling and emotional support, and school fees and supplies for the children in their care.
- Help grandmothers to plan for their grandchildren's future care and ensure that they have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
STEPHEN LEWIS: GRANDMOTHERS
project HIGHLIGHT:
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Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA) started with a few South African grandmothers coming together daily to talk, grieve, sew and make crafts to sell. They shared a common bond — each of them had lost children to AIDS, and all were raising their grandchildren. Today, GAPA includes 25 support groups, 10 income-earning cooperatives and an after-school programme. More than 900 grandmothers have participated in GAPA's grandmother-led training workshops. "When we are together, it gives us the strength to cope," says one grandmother. |
Learn more about how community-based organizations are turning the tide of AIDS in Africa by reading our newsletter and visiting the What We Do section.