Oliver Grandmothers for Grandmothers president Shirley Polk shares a moment with Mariam Mulindwa of Uganda. Mariam is raising 24 kids since an entire generation of her family and her husband’s family have all died of AIDS.
Photo contributed
The sound flowed over us, back and forth, resonating as 300 woman sang in the call and response style of Africa: “We will not rest. We will turn the tide.”
The women from Canada and from Africa were gathered in Vancouver March 11 and 12 to celebrate 10 years of solidarity, not charity, 10 years of hard and determined grassroots work, 10 years where dignity, mutuality and women’s spirit triumphed in 15 countries where whole communities were torn apart and as many as one in three citizens had AIDS.
What do you do when 36 million people have AIDS? What do you do with 17 million orphans? As one African grandmother put it, “Sitting and crying is not a solution.” A Canadian grandmother added, “It wasn’t enough to just write a cheque. We had to connect.” Another added, “If you think it’s time to retire, it’s time to work!”
So the grandmother to grandmother idea was born. It was a collaborative system not a heirarchy. It was inclusive and respectful. It emerged as a mass movement, a global movement with the face of a grandmother. It broke the isolation, stilled the fear and created a sense of community that sustained. Gradually, very gradually, African grandmothers began to regain hope, a sense of survival. They got up every morning to face fear, loss, illness, but working together with Canadian grandmothers they gradually found their voice, realized they were worthy and could speak up and claim basic human rights.
It has taken 10 years but they are demanding their governments help with health care, pensions, education. They are asking us in the developed world to be aware that our ‘free’ trade (TPP) agreement serves the pharmaceutical companies while depriving the poor of less expensive generic drugs to fight AIDS. They are fighting for land titles. They are slowly resurrecting their communities. Not every need is sated but they have a sense of dignity and hope and they are feeling better. Together we sing and we laugh and we move forward.
So what next?
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and a passionate human rights lawyer, wants to be able to fund the 100 to 200 new proposals the Foundation gets each month. Already they have funded over 1,400 initiatives and partnered with over 300 community-based organizations in 15 countries.
We want to double the number of grandmother groups in Canada that raise money for the Foundation. We want the grandmother to grandmother campaign to go global and find voice in international discussions at centres of power.
There is so much that has been done. There is so much that still needs to be done.
One of the inspirational African grandmothers who spoke concluded with these words: “Please don’t stop. We need resources. We need you. Please don’t rest. I’m begging you guys!” And here in Oliver, we won’t stop. If you’d care to join us we meet in the Oliver United Church the first Thursday of each month at 1 p.m.
By Marion Boyd
