The Osoyoos Branch of Grandmothers for Africa meets the second Wednesday of each month at Osoyoos United Church. Front from left: Linda Paley, Olinda Elsasser,Jackie Gee and Linda McWhinnie. Back from left: Linda Sheehan, Elaine Taylor, Pam Herman, Jan Stene, Carol Bissonette and Audrey Wescott. (Richard McGuire photo)
They meet each month to plan fundraisers to help those in need on a distant continent, but not one of the Osoyoos Grandmothers for Africa has ever set foot on African soil.
The dedicated group of just over a dozen grandmothers meets every second Wednesday of the month at Osoyoos United Church, said President Elaine Taylor, who has been with the group since its inception nearly four years ago.
The group holds bridge and cribbage tournaments, plant sales, bake sales and soon an art sale – all to raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which helps those on the front lines of the AIDS pandemic that has devastated parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
There’s a grandmother-to-grandmother aspect to the work.
As Taylor explains, often it is the grandparents who are left to care for children when parents are victimized by AIDS.
The local group has raised almost $10,000 through its efforts, assisting with food, shelter, healthcare and education.
And, although none of the local members has been to Africa, they watch documentaries, including a report on a grandmothers’ tribunal held in Vancouver last year, in which African grandmothers spoke about the hardships they face.
“Some of them are bringing up between six and eight children because they’ve lost their own children to AIDS,” said Taylor.
For Taylor, Africa isn’t just a recent interest.
As her own children grew up, Taylor sponsored children in Kenya and Botswana through World Vision.
When she was younger, Taylor dreamed of being a nurse in Africa. She did live in Australia for a while, and was planning to go to Africa next, but instead she got married and raised a family.
“I never really had a chance to do that,” she said, “but I’ve always been really, really interested in Africa.”
Her oldest daughter has spent time in Botswana, and that country remains on her own list.
“I’m definitely going to go there,” she said.
With an interest in Africa already, Taylor said she and others jumped at the chance to learn more when a group came down to Osoyoos from Kelowna and Penticton about four years ago to speak about Grandmothers for Africa.
“I was sold right then,” she said. “I thought this group is for me.”
They formed an Osoyoos chapter, joining similar groups in Oliver, Penticton, Kelowna and elsewhere in the B.C. Interior.
Unlike some aid organizations that have high administrative costs, Taylor said between 90 and 95 per cent of the money raised for the Stephen Lewis Foundation goes right to the front lines in Africa.
“That was really important for me,” she said.
Often the aid helps the recipients to become more self-sufficient. For example, some of the money went to buy sewing machines that could be operated by pedal in areas that lacked electricity.
“It’s not just handing money over or giving items,” said Taylor. “It’s helping them with living on their own and being able to support themselves.”
Parts of Sub-Saharan Africa were already very poor and that poverty has been exacerbated by the AIDS pandemic, which kills about 1.2 million people annually – many in the most productive age groups.
Yet other parts of the world have also faced poverty and catastrophe and Taylor wishes she could do more.
“After you see everything that’s going on in Haiti, I said to the girls the other day, I think we need to have another group started,” said Taylor, referring to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew as Haiti still tries to rebuild from a major earthquake in 2010.
Osoyoos Grandmothers for Africa is a small group, entirely of women, all from roughly the same generation. Taylor says this has meant there’s a close social aspect to it as well.
“We try to keep up with each other and what each other is doing,” she said.
Still, the group would welcome the involvement of men.
“We said we would have to change our group to ‘grand others’ and not necessarily be ‘grandmothers’,” she said.
Those wishing to become involved or find out more can contact Taylor at 250-495-3140.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
