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Joan Kirkham (L) of the South Bruce branch of the Retired Women
Teachers of Ontario, presents a cheque for $200 to the Saugeen Grannies
for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, represented by Margitta
Lange and John Dallaire Bring them your old jewellery and they
will fix it, box it and sell it, with the money going to a worthwhile
cause. That's the message from Margitta Lange and John Dallaire of the
Saugeen Grannies in Southampton.
Speaking to the South Bruce branch of the Retired Women Teachers of
Ontario (RWTO) last week at Ainsdale Golf Course, the pair talked about
the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, launched by the Stephen Lewis
Foundation in March, 2006. The program helps raise awareness, build
solidarity and mobilize funds for Africa's grandmothers and the orphans
in their care. It has since evolved into a national movement of about
200 grandmother groups - more than 5,000 women - who support African
grandmothers through the foundation.
To raise money, the Saugeen Grannies hold yard sales and art sales,
while Lange and Dallaire (a 'grand-other') set up their booth and sell
used jewellery. "We depend solely on donations for our used jewellery
sales," says Lange. "Any broken jewellery we try to repair but if we
can't, we make crafts out of it and sell those crafts."
Anyone in the Kincardine area wishing to donate used jewellery can
contact Rhodora Doughty at 519-396-4368. The South Bruce branch of RWTO
presented Lange and Dallaire with a cheque for $200.
Lange and Dallaire hope to be among the vendors at the Kincardine Monday
Market this year. They will also be found at the Southampton yard sales
May 16-17 and June 13, the Southampton Library, beside the big flag in
Southampton on Thursdays during the summer, at the Southampton Coliseum
Craft Sale, at Pumpkinfest on Oct. 3-4, at the Cham-bettes Christmas
Craft Sale, and at the Southampton Chantry Centre Christmas craft and
bake sale.
"There are 13 million children who have been orphaned by AIDS in
Africa," said Lange. "Women there are burying their adult children and
being forced to raise their orphaned grandchildren. They have no time to
grieve their losses, little to no financial resources, deteriorating
health, and limited support to bridge the generation gap and help their
grandchildren work through the trauma of losing their parents. Despite
these hardships, these courageous women have become the heart of the
response to AIDS in Africa." Through the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the
campaign has supported grandmothers' immediate needs such as food,
transportation, home visits, medical care, adequate housing and bedding,
as well as school fees and uniforms, and coffins to allow for the
dignified burial of a loved one. The campaign also aims to sustain
grandmothers in the long term by providing HIV awareness training,
counselling and testing, parenting and business skills workshops,
micro-credit grants, bereavement counselling and grandmother support
groups (next column)
24/04/2009 10:13 PM
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John Dallaire (L) and Margitta Lange of the Saugeen Grannies hold up
some of the used jewellery donated to them by the South Bruce branch of
the RWTO
Leslie Uttley (L), co-chairperson of the South
Bruce branch of the RWTO, greets one of the group's treasured members,
Laura MacDonald, who is over 90 years old
"The whole continent is in such a mess," said Dallaire.
"All the help they can get is needed and appreciated."
"The foundation works with grassroots organizations," added Lange. "They
work with local people and go into the country despite the dangers."
"We got involved (with the Grandmothers Campaign) when we were helping
with a yard sale for the Saugeen Grannies," said Dallaire. "Eventually,
we were asked to take it on."
"Keep collecting your jewellery for us," said Lange. "We have a lot of
fun with this and it's for a worthy cause."
In other RWTO business, co-chairperson Leslie Uttley welcomed about 30
members to the spring meeting and honoured Laura MacDonald who is over
90 years old. "I don't know where the years have gone," said MacDonald.
"Sometimes you stand still and the years pass by."
Uttley said the focus for the RWTO is to increase membership. The branch
has about 60 members but needs to attract more. It also needs more
people on the local executive.
She introduced Mary Langtree, Area 1 director, who urged the members
to let other retired women teachers know that this organization exists.
Those who wish to donate can do so by visiting the websites at
www.stephenlewisfoundation.org and
www.grandmotherscampaign.org;
by E-mail at infor@stephenlewisfoundation.org
or by calling 1-888-203-9990.
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