Those who have the pleasure of working alongside Imedy Chiduuro know it is impossible not to be taken by her unmistakeably vibrant personality. Her leadership is a beacon of hope and change, and her immense impact shines throughout her community. 

Imedy is passionate about supporting grandmothers and their grandchildren, especially grandmothers who are facing the challenges of parenting anew after losing their own children to AIDS-related complications.  

As a mother and caregiver to two adult children who both live with epilepsy, and six grandchildren, Imedy’s drive to contribute to her community stems from her own deep, personal commitments. She understands that everyone requires support that goes well beyond simply meeting a person’s day-to-day health needs. This is why, in addition to working as a champion of health awareness and testing, including for HIV and TB, Imedy motivates people to care for one another, and to grow a strong sense of community and belonging across generations.  

Since 2008, Imedy has volunteered with SLF partner Hope Tariro Trust (HTT) in Zimbabwe, where she is often at the centre of meaningful and uplifting moments of connection. Through her singing and dancing, she creates a contagious sense of joy for grandmothers, their families and community that offers relief from the weight of their responsibilities and health concerns. Imedy also finds time to act as the chairperson of her local community garden, which nourishes her family and contributes to their income while also sustaining the broader community. 

Most recently, in October 2023 she participated in the International Grandmothers Gathering held in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. The experience of gathering proved to be rejuvenating for Imedy, who describes the opportunity to learn from her peers as inspiring and re-energizing. She is now ready to continue her profound contributions to her community. 

Every community striving for health and human rights deserves leaders like Imedy. Despite her own life challenges, she rises to the occasion to elevate and empower those around her. Join us in amplifying the voices and actions of women like Imedy who are a formidable force in the fight to end AIDS. 

In August 2006, I saw clips in the news of the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada, featuring grandmothers gathering and marching together. Then, I read Stephen Lewis’ book Race Against Time and was blown away by the feisty and courageous African grandmothers he met as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. There was no question in my mind that as grandmothers, we could do something to support those amazing leaders on the forefront of their pandemic-stricken communities! Grandmothers are the ones who stepped in to help myriads of children orphaned by AIDS in their communities while the world stood idly by.  

We recognize our commonality with them as grandmothers. We dote on our grandchildren and present a natural and loving presence in their lives. The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign is made up of individuals who identify and share with our African peers the desire for wellness, health, education opportunities and a thriving life for our growing grandchildren.  

The stark difference for Canadian members of the Campaign, is that we’re living in a country and in communities where most of us have access to housing and health care, and safety nets of a social system, including pensions. Many African grandmothers in communities where SLF partners work are struggling to make a living to feed multiple children and to pay for their school fees and supplies. They may not have protections from violence or predation, and they are fighting for their property rights, all the while dealing with the dirge of losing loved ones to AIDS.   

Together, African and Canadian, grandmothers are a solid network — bright, innovative, experts in different fields, with caring and loving hearts, and fighters for social justice. As a member of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign it is my desire to support and be in solidarity with our sisters in sub-Saharan Africa by raising awareness about their challenges, and by raising funds to support their community-led projects. We will not rest until they can rest.

Do you know a woman like Mia who inspires you to make a difference? Make a gift today in honour of a woman in your life who is making her mark through her leadership and creating stronger communities.

When the Shaw Festival announced that Stephen Lewis was to speak about the HIV epidemic in Africa, I was one of hundreds who packed the Festival Theatre. I became a supporter there and then, and when the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign started, I found my people. Working together with like-minded women, we developed strong bonds of friendship that made all our activities not only worthwhile, but enjoyable. 

In 2010, the SLF organized an International Grandmothers Gathering in Eswatini (then Swaziland), which I was fortunate enough to attend with another 42 Campaign members from Canada. We marched with 2000 grandmothers and supporters through the streets of Manzini, lifted by song, and fired up by a common passion to demand rights and support for grandmothers. The Gathering changed me forever:  I am determined to spend the rest of my life raising funds to support the work of African grandmothers and telling their stories.  

The Campaign is now a central part of my life, second only to my family. It’s reassuring to work with an organization that I trust implicitly to align with my beliefs. For instance, the SLF treats its partners in Africa as equals, and is guided by their expertise; all aspects of life in community, from psychosocial support to housing to income generation are supported; and projects to support women and girls are especially encouraged. Guided by these principles, it’s easy for me to carry on the day-to-day work of fundraising or presenting in schools with a passionate commitment to the cause. 

The work we do together gives me a shared sense of purpose. There’s nothing more fulfilling than working toward a common goal in a cause we all believe in. A large part of that common goal is centred on putting an end to gender inequality in countries in Africa. Only when women and girls are respected for who they are as human beings and given an equal right to live and work to their full potential in their communities, will we see major progress in social, health and inter-personal conditions.  

Visit https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/monthly to make a monthly gift in honour of a woman like Lisbie who inspires you. With continuous and sustainable funding, community leaders can respond quickly when urgent needs arise, supporting women and girls to reach their full potential. 

With Lizete Lisboa Mucasse’s response to an invitation from the Mozambican Treatment Access Movement (MATRAM), she became a proud champion for grandmothers in her community. She saw the role as a pathway to freeing herself, and more women like her, from their suffering in the wake of the HIV epidemic. She knew the movement’s mandate would involve caring for children left behind when their parents died of AIDS-related complications — children who deserve an empowered future as the next generation.  

In an area with a high number of households managed by women, Lizete says she shares a vision with many grandmothers at MATRAM: A future in which women of all ages are unhindered, independent and happy.  

“I hope that women can be more valued and that there is more respect for them, especially elderly women due to their vulnerability. I hope that society can give women the place they deserve, without violence. I would like for older women to be able to practice agriculture as they have the land in Mozambique but do not have the equipment to cultivate it. I would also like to see them supported in income-generating initiatives so that they can carry out their own activities and not be so dependent on others.”  

She also hopes to see more girls staying in school, so they can have better employment opportunities, higher incomes, greater independence and brighter futures. She also hopes the community will be empowered to address and prevent gender-based violence with policies to protect women and girls. 

This International Women’s Day theme, Invest in women: Accelerate progress, invites us to consider the hopes and aspirations of grandmother leaders like Lizete. They are striving to protect and empower their communities and the girls and young women coming up behind them. Grandmothers are playing a crucial role by standing in the gap for the next generation of young women. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is proud to partner with MATRAM who supports grandmother champions like Lizete, and celebrates their vision for a more just and equitable future. 

Make a donation today to ensure community leaders like Lizete, who are best positioned to make concrete, long-lasting change in their communities, have access to the resources they need and deserve. 

When I was invited to my first meeting of Grands ‘n’ More Winnipeg, I found that both the people I met and the SLF’s values aligned with mine and I was hooked! 

Being a part of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign means I can contribute to a national grassroots network of people who care deeply about the African grandmothers who are raising their own grandchildren, and others, in communities affected by HIV and AIDS.  

The opportunity to join Stephen Lewis Foundation staff and grandmothers in Ethiopia and South Africa deepened my understanding of the grassroots work that the grannies and their children do, and how the SLF supports these community-led organizations to respond to the needs of their communities. The way the SLF creates and nurtures respectful relationships and partnerships with local grassroots organizations by listening to what they need, inspires me to continue to be involved in the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.  

I believe it is important to invest in women and girls because they are the lifeblood of their communities. Women and girls are the culture transmitters as they pass on their knowledge to their children. They are often, due to the patriarchal and colonial structures embedded in society, marginalized to fend for themselves and their children. An organization like the SLF supports the empowerment of women and girls to be all that they can be as leaders in their communities and beyond. I appreciate and value the approach that the SLF embraces to support local grassroots groups in sub-Saharan Africa. 

The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign is an international solidarity movement that mobilizes women’s expertise and leadership to empower older women and restore hope for families and communities. Act in solidarity and join us today: www.grandmotherscampaign.org 

Margaret Kayombo ais a member of a committee that advocates for grandmothers’ rights in Rukiga District in Western Uganda. Since joining ROTOM, the community-led organization that supports the committee, she has been an enthusiastic and engaged contributor. Margaret is active in community exchange visits, raising awareness and collaborating with other grandmothers across Uganda, and takes part in grandmothers gatherings, including the national gathering in Entebbe (2015) and most recently, the International Grandmothers Gathering in Kampala (October 2023).  

Every day, Margaret gives back to her community in practical ways that may go unnoticed. But for some grandmothers in her community, Margaret and her peers are an integral part of a vital lifeline. Through ROTOM’s support networks, grandmothers have better access to healthy food and nutrition. They are informed about their health and rights, and have built a community of mutual care to fend off isolation and loneliness.  

When Margaret first joined SLF partner ROTOM, through their small farm program, they supported her to raise a goat. When the goat produced five kids 18 months later, Margaret was able to gift one to another grandmother through ROTOM’s network. She sold two of the remaining goats and purchased land for 800,000 Ugandan Shillings (approximately $277 CAD).  

First, she planted trees. Now, Margaret cultivates gardens with the help of her family. Together they grow healthy food to sustain themselves and their community. These incremental steps, supported by ROTOM, have made a world of difference for Margaret. In her words, “ROTOM is now a part of my family.” 

The Stephen Lewis Foundation invites you to show your support and commitment to grandmothers like Margaret who are working so hard to support each other, their families and communities. Grandmothers deserve to feel valued, and to be able to age with dignity. To make your contribution, please visit Ways to Give.