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Home  Bulletins Scrabble, holiday tribute cards and upcoming events
Granny Bulletins
Granny Bulletins are regular email updates on the SLF Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, intended to keep grandmother groups across Canada informed about, and connected to each other and the grandmothers and grassroots projects in Africa that are supported through their dedicated fundraising and awareness-raising efforts. If you would like sign up to receive the bulletin, please e-mail
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to be added to the list.
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Scrabble, holiday tribute cards and upcoming events |
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November 6, 2008 — In this bulletin, read a letter from the newest member of the team, get an update on the Scrabble tournament, learn about the wonderful work of the Chiedza Child Care Centre in Zimbabwe, and get an update on holiday cards and upcoming events.
The Granny Bulletin is a regular email update on the SLF Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, intended to keep grandmother groups across Canada informed about, and connected to each other and the grandmothers and grassroots projects in Africa that are supported through their dedicated fundraising and awareness-raising efforts.
In this Granny Bulletin…
1. Welcome and Update
2. Welcome to Kaitlin Short
3. New Scrabble Update
4. Focus on an African Project
5. Holiday Cards and Upcoming Events
6. End Quote from Winstone Zulu
1. Welcome and Update
Welcome to the November Edition of the Granny Bulletin! In this Granny Bulletin we’ll share information about how to order Holiday Tribute cards, provide an update on the results of the Scrabble game fundraisers, and introduce you to Kaitlin Short, the newest member of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. We’ll also tell you about a wonderful project in Zimbabwe called Chiedza Child Care Centre.
You can read more about projects and the SLF in the Winter 2008 Newsletter, appearing next week in your mailbox and online at www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.
As always, we want to encourage you to send in your fundraising ideas and upcoming events to be included in the December 2008 Granny Bulletin. Send them to
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by November 28!
Thank you for helping to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
Warmest regards,
Ilana, Julie, Helen, Janis, Kaitlin, Mary Anna and Hannah
2. Meet Kaitlin Short
To say that I was thrilled to become a part of the Stephen Lewis Foundation in May 2008 is an understatement. I focused on the HIV and AIDS pandemic throughout my studies, receiving an Hons. B.A in Political Science from McMaster University in 2007 (with a minor in Sociology) and recently finishing an M.A. from the Collaborative International Relations program at the University of Toronto.
I initially began working at the SLF to assist with the work of two Directors, but as grandmothers groups continue to expand across Canada, my role has evolved into the Assistant to the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and to Nancy Forgrave, the Director of Development.
While not a grandmother myself, I am very proud to say that I have extensive experience as a granddaughter to two remarkable women whom I am lucky to call my nana and grandma. I can honestly say that there is nothing else I would rather be doing than working with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.I have been lucky enough to already meet a number of amazing Canadian grandmothers and grandmothers groups in the past few weeks and am looking forward to meeting many more of you as my responsibilities with the Grandmothers Team continue to grow.
Kaitlin
3. Scrabble Game Update
We have officially closed the Scrabble Game Benefit National Challenge, however many groups have indicated they will be holding Scrabble game events throughout the year. So far we have heard from 17 of the 21 participating groups and we are delighted to announce that close to $158,000 has already been raised with more still to come! Congratulations!
We will continue to update you, but at this time we would like to thank everyone who took up the challenge. We hope you had as much fun as we did (all of the Grandmothers Campaign staff attended and/or played at events in our neighbourhoods) and we look forward to hearing stories from all of the participating groups. We would especially like to thank the members of the Eastside GANG who generously developed a “how-to” kit that was very useful to other groups.
All participating groups are reminded to send in their pledges as soon as possible to beat the holiday rush in order for us to ensure that tax receipts can be sent out in a timely fashion. We also remind you to email us with your community’s average score in order for us to determine which community will win a visit from Stephen Lewis. Please add up the scores of all of your players and divide by the number of players to get your community average.
4. Focus on an African ProjectChiedza Child Care Centre, ZimbabweChiedza works with orphaned children and grandmothers in three urban townships near Harare, to provide funding for pre-school, psycho-social and nutritional support, medical screening and assistance, after-school and out-of-school children’s activities, educational assistance and community outreach. The name Chiedza means “dawn’s early light” in Shona.
Most of the activities and assistance offered by Chiedza revolve around the Child Care Centre. 225 children are now being supported through before- and after-school activities including homework support, peer talks, gardening, sports, drama and traditional music. Chiedza provides basic medical care through volunteer doctors to all children served by the Centre, and after-school programming includes a nutritious hot meal for each child. Many children assisted by Chiedza lack the birth certificates necessary to enroll in school, so Chiedza has made obtaining proper birth certificates a priority.
Lucy Steinitz, a field representative for SLF, visited Chiedza recently and wrote the following:
“I also visited the nursery school which was very impressive: stimulating, caring and with well-trained teachers. It was especially moving to see one boy with Downs Syndrome who was being integrated with the other children – he was obviously very happy in the school and the other children responded well to him, as well. I spent some time in the after-school programme, which meets in an open air shelter (a large gazebo with a roof only). It was extremely cold and windy, but the children participated in an afternoon of song (with two visiting musicians) and then received a nutritious, hot meal – a large portion of cooked bulgar, peas and an egg. (The food had to be cooked over an open fire on the day I was present, as there was no electricity.)”
As many children are being cared for by their grandmothers, 65 grandmothers are supported by Chiedza with food and gardening assistance and training. Some grandmother-headed households have kitchen gardens through this support, and 9 grandmothers are now breeding rabbits. As part of an income-generating programme that also provides affordable uniforms for school children, 4 grandmothers received training in cutting and design and have already completed 20 uniforms.
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Cost Examples:
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| Educational Assistance: school fees, uniforms, books, art materials |
$12,000 CDN |
| Medical Assistance: for children at Centre |
$2000 CDN |
| Emergency Food Packs: for grandmothers |
$6000 CDN |
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Mini-bus: purchase of a used mini-bus to assist children who live
up to 7 kilometres away from the Centre to get to school and to
before- and after-school programmes
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$12,000 CDN |
5. Holiday Cards and Upcoming EventsAre you looking for an alternative to buying gifts? This holiday season celebrate your friends, loved ones and colleagues by making a donation in their honour to the Grandmothers Campaign. Your contribution will sustain grandmothers and communities that are struggling valiantly against the pandemic.
We are pleased to announce that we have Holiday Tribute Inserts and Holiday Tribute Cards available this year. The Holiday Tribute Inserts, like last year, come in bundles of five (with a minimum donation of $60 for five), are the size of a postcard, feature a photo of a grandmother and child on the front, and a message about the Foundation on the back. There is room on the inserts to include your own personal message and are intended to be put inside your own holiday cards or included as a stocking stuffer. The Holiday Tribute Cards feature a photo of children from the Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe and include a short description of our work. There is ample room inside the cards to include your own personal message and they come with a plain white envelope.
To place individual orders and make a donation by credit card over the phone, please call 416-533-9292 or toll-free at 1-888-203-9990. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery and please mention your grandmother group’s name and/or ID number. To place orders for your group, please email Helen at
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and indicate your group name, mailing address, quantity and type requested.
Dr. Denis Mukwege and Stephen Lewis speak in Toronto
Please tell your family and friends in the Toronto area about a special upcoming event organized by SAFER and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Join us on Friday, November 28th for a discussion on Ending Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) featuring Dr. Denis Mukwege and Stephen Lewis at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto at 7:30pm. Dr. Mukwege, founder of Panzi Hospital, and Stephen Lewis will discuss the current crisis in the DRC and how the Panzi Hospital in Bukani, DRC has become a refuge for women and girls. Anna Maria Tremonti of the CBC’s The Current will host this event. Tickets are $25 for adults or $20 for students or seniors and can be purchased by calling 416-978-8849 or online at www.UofTtix.ca. For more information about the event or about Panzi Hospital, please visit www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.
Toronto Benefit Concert
The Togogo Grannies of Bloor Street United Church and the Old Orchard Blossoms of St. Timothy's Anglican Church invite you to a Benefit Concert in support of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign on November 15 at 7.30 pm. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale and Soul Influence will be performing. Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor Street W. Tickets $30.00 at the door. 416-512-0959 or
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for more information!
6. End Quote – Words from Winstone Zulu
“There was a time when grassroots organizations apologetically explained that they were only around to complement governments’ activities. It is time to acknowledge that these grassroots organizations are creating an impact that no government in the region can do without.”
Winstone Zulu is a renowned Zambian AIDS activist currently advising the Stephen Lewis Foundation. You can read more by Winstone in our Winter 2008 Grassroots newsletter online next week at: www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.
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