Grandmothers march together
June 3, 2010
Strathmore Standard, by Kirsten Mundy
Mother's Day is often a time spent with family, but for a Standard mother, it was spent on a bus, driving towards the end of a life-altering trip.
"I spent it driving back to Johannesburg from Swaziland after attending a truly historic event, the fist International Grandmothers' Gathering," said Yvonne Way, a Standard resident.
The three day event gave grandmothers and grand-others, those without grandchildren, the chance to meet and rally for the challenges grandmothers in Africa face. The women who are left to raise their children's children after AIDS has robbed them of their parents.
"They deal first hand with the ravages of the AIDS pandemic, and are trying to create a hopeful future for their grandchildren, and ultimately, their country," said Way of the grandmothers she met while overseas with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.
The conference was hosted by the Stephen Lewis Foundation to raise awareness and funds about the situation many grandmothers are in. It saw 2,000 grandmothers march on the last day, rallying for support and action worldwide. There were 42 grandmothers from Canada at the event, and Way was one of them.
"We all heard different versions of the struggles they were all dealing with, but the loss of their loved ones and their struggle to make a better life for the little ones left behind rang throughout all of them," said Way.
The first two days of the event gave Way plenty of opportunity to get to know some of her African counter parts, and really understand what they are fighting for. The workshops gave the grandmothers a chance to share their ideas, experiences and concerns. The purpose was to create a regional groundwork of support for these women, but Way said so much more was accomplished.
"We were there to listen, with respect, to these courageous women about how we can best assist them in their work," said Way. "They do not want handouts or our pity, far from it."
Way said just knowing that more people better understand their situation was a great experience for many of the participants.
"While these grandmothers in Africa are a world away, they feel the same love for their children and grandchildren as we do, and their grief is just as deep as ours when they lose their loved ones," said Way. "We need to think of the people who populate this planet as one family."
Working together as a family to see the abolishment of AIDS was the goal on the minds of those attending the conference, and Way was proud to wear the appropriate Tee-shirt expressing that hope. With the devastation AIDS has left in its path throughout Sub-Sahara Africa, the grandmothers are only some of those affected.
"There are as many as 10 million children orphaned in Sub Sahara Africa," said Way. "As their sick, adult children come home to live out their final days, the older generation is forced into caring for them, and burying them. While the grandmothers are still reeling from their own grief, they immediately step in to raise their orphaned grandchildren."
Stepping up to the plate, and doing what needs to be done, is exactly what the grandmothers from around the world were willing to do for three days in May. On the final day of the conference, about 2,000 grandmothers joined forces, and marched for a cause.
"Grandmothers literally marched arm-in-arm with their African counterparts calling for support and action," said Way.
Before leaving the conference, Way said the Canadian grandmothers joined together to wish the African grandmothers a happy Mother's Day, by singing "We Shall Turn the Tide (of AIDS)" to the tune of "We Shall Overcome."
"It was an amazing moment," said Way. "They witnessed this incredible bond between women, who three days earlier had never met. Many of us had not even shared a common language. As we sang, many African grannies got up and joined us, holding our hands for that moment, but forever holding our hearts."
The event left Way with a desire to keep helping, and she said she will be continuing to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation, as they continue to work with these women.
"I was touched and so impressed by the staff on this trip," said Way. "They were extremely dedicated to their job of allocating the funds effectively and efficiently."