Laurie Black Rooney is one of the chosen few.
Later this month, she will be heading to Swaziland to see first hand how donations are spent on grassroots initiatives.
Black Rooney, of the local Grandmothers of the Grand, is one of 40 Canadian women embarking on a tour of support for their counterparts in Africa – grandmothers who are struggling to care for and feed children who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Swaziland.
Representatives of Grandmothers groups from across Canada will fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, and for a week will learn about grassroots initiatives by African grandmothers.
On May 8, the eve of Mother’s Day, she will join in a march of solidarity that is expected to attract several thousand people en route to a conference centre.
The Canadian women were nominated by local groups and selected by the Stephen Lewis Foundation, an organization that is providing care and support to women, orphaned children, grandmothers, and people living with HIV and AIDS. More than $7-million has been raised since 2006.
The Canadian delegation to Africa will represent more than 5,000 women from across the country involved in the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.
Swaziland is on the southeastern tip of Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique.
Funded by the Stephen Lewis Foundation and hosted by an organization called Swaziland for Positive Living (SWAPOL), the African grandmothers’ gathering will present the first significant opportunity for African grandmothers to share their experience and skills, celebrate their accomplishments, and define the path forward.
The hope is that this gathering will foster not only an African solidarity force to address powerfully the plight of those suffering from the (AIDS-orphan) pandemic, but also assist organizations such as Grandmothers to Grandmothers in Canada in advocating effectively for resources and support.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation funds grassroots organizations working to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Since 2003, it has supported more than 250 projects in 15 African counties that provide care to women who are ill and struggling to survive, assist orphans, and other AIDS-affected children, support grandmothers caring for orphaned grandchildren, and sustain networks of people living with HIV?and AIDS.
In an interview, Black Rooney said that in 2006, during the International AIDS?day, they brought 100 grandmothers from sub-Saharan Africa and 200 Canadian grandmothers, to launch the national Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign under the umbrella of the foundation.
“Since then, there are now over 220 Grandmothers to Grandmothers groups across Canada, and over 5,000 members that have raised millions of dollars.”
She explained the purpose of the group’s creation was “to stand in solidarity with the African grandmothers to raise funds and awareness for what they are going through.”
She explained that in the sub-Sahara portion of the continent, “They are losing the whole middle generation to HIV and AIDS. They are basically burying their children and raising their children’s children.”
Her understanding is that 2.3 million children under the age of 15 are HIV?infected.
“One in two children do not reach their second birthday. There are 13 million children orphaned because of HIV?and AIDS … it’s an epidemic.”
She said “As grandmothers we are supporting the grandmothers in Africa. We are raising money and awareness.”
In explaining the situation, Black Rooney said, “Some grandmothers can be raising from two to 20 grandchildren – with no resources and no money.”
What has happened, she said, is the Stephen Lewis Foundation started this grassroots foundation to support projects – either money making projects, microgrants or even counselling.
The foundation supports various projects in Africa such as bereavements counselling, transportation, uniforms and “even coffins to provide for proper burials.”
She cited the coming conferences as being historic because, “This is the first time they are organizing over there in Swaziland a grandmothers gathering.”
The conference will involve about 500 grandmothers from 13 countries. Black Rooney will be one of 40 delegates from Canada.
It is a conference to talk about the struggles the challenges and to celebrate the joy of what they have accomplished.
Black Rooney said the delegates will be helping out in various ways.
While there will be 500 at the actual conference, she anticipates there will be closer to 2,000 involved in the solidarity march.
As for her selection to be a candidate, Black Rooney said, “For me it was an absolute honour to be chosen. I never thought it would happen.”
While nominated through her local chapter, she still was required to fill out an extensive application.
Some of the questions involved the extent of her travel experience, and what skills would she bring to a gathering such as the conference.
Other questions gauged her reaction to seeing the hardship experienced in Africa.
“For myself, I work with victims of violent crime … it’s what I do. I think my experience is what drew me to the movement in the first place.”
She became involved with the already established chapter in 2007.
“I receive Stephen Lewis Foundation Newsletters because I’m a fan of Stephen Lewis and I’m always interested in his work. I was reading a very moving story about a child-headed household. This 14-year-old boy was raising siblings aged 11, 8, 5, and 2.”
The story noted that the parents had died and, at 14, he was raising his family trying to get good.
“I said to my daughter, we have to do something.”
At that point, she rented the Elora Gorge theatre and held a show. “I’d contacted the Stephen Lewis Foundation and had permission to screen a few DVDs.”
She also sent an email to her circle of friends and family and ended up raising about $1,500.
Black Rooney had called the Guelph Grandmother group, not knowing there was a Fergus chapter, to get ideas.
“They told me there was a group in Fergus and I spoke to Cinda Richardson about joining.”
She said the local group is small, “but we’ve grown in the past three years. We do everything we can to raise awareness and education.”
Black Rooney also commented on something that was said by a foundation representative prior to the 2007 screening.
“9-11 was a horrible thing. where 4,700 people died, but 4,700 children die everyday because of HIV/AIDS. But it’s not thought of – and that’s what we’re trying to bring awareness of, and get it into people’s heads.”
She said her friends had a big party for her recently to support her. Over 150 people were there, raising over $2,500.
The good thing about the Stephen Lewis Foundation is that it strives for 90% of all funds raised going directly to the grassroots projects, keeping the administration costs to 10%.
“You know if you give $10, $9 is going directly to them.”
As part of her going to the conference, Black Rooney had to agree to at least six public presentations upon her return, and to write an article. That, she said, is to bring back and amplify the African grandmother voices here, to let everyone know what they are going through.
She considered herself incredibly lucky for the support of the local community and for the chance to take part in this event.
“It is so powerful to know that I’m going to be part of this huge group of women who are talking about what they go through and the hurdles that they overcome.”
She and her fellow grandmothers are seeking donations of aeroplan miles to get the delegation of Canadians to Swaziland and home again.
Miles for the Swaziland gathering can be donated through the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign website at www.grandmotherscampaign.org.
For more information contact http://www.grandmotherscampaign.org/grand/ or www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.
