African women getting hand up from local grannies

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on September 15, 2022.

Submitted photo The Harambee Grandmas will be raising funds this weekend through their annual fabric and yarn sales to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation's grandmothers to grandmothers campaign for the HIV and AIDS crisis faced by grandmothers in Africa.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Harambee Grandmas are looking to help their fellow grandmothers on the other side of the world as they get set to host their fifth annual Fabric and Yarn Sale fundraiser this Friday and Saturday.

The group is the local chapter of the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

The foundation was created in 2003 with the express purpose of supporting community-based organizations working on the frontlines of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa and the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign was launched in 2006 as an initiative in response to the emerging crisis faced by grandmothers in Africa.

“There are grandmothers raising ‘x’ number of kids on their own with one tomato plant outside the front door of their hut,” said Mardi Renyk with Harambee Grandmas.

Renyk, who taught for a period of time in Botswana, said it is devastating for her to think that most of the children she taught died during the HIV and AIDS pandemic and have left behind their own children to be raised by their grandmothers.

She said when people think of grandmothers, they usually think of little old ladies, but some of the grandmothers in Africa are only in their 40s.

“Hence the name grandmothers to grandmothers, because there were countless, millions literally, of women raising their grandchildren because that whole generation was wiped out,” said Renyk.

She explained their name Harambee Grandmas comes from the Swahili word ‘harambee’ which means working together to make a difference.

Renyk said she got involved with the Harambee Grandmas when a neighbour introduced her to it.

“It certainly appealed to me because of my time teaching in Botswana,” said Renyk.

She said since their inception the group has managed to raise close to $250,000 through multiple events over the years within the community, including travel chats at Casa.

Last year the Harambee Grandmas took part in a nationwide virtual event that raised over $150,000 in one night, the Together In Concert event with local representation from the Bridge Brass Quintet.

Renyk said she was able to get the Bridge Brass Quintet involved thanks to her friendship with trumpeter Don Robb.

Robb said they became involved with Together In Concert through a video they had previously recorded while playing in a field just outside of the city.

“What we did was for a little bit of fun before the Harambee Grandmas event, but Mardi has seen it and suggested to their organizing committee that the video would be fun to include and they ran along with it,” said Robb.

In the video, the Bridge Brass Quintet is playing on a flatbed in the middle of a field and cattle joins them as their audience, as it happened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic where restrictions impeded gatherings.

“It was a lot of fun because it was so unique, for someone in Niagara Falls to be watching a bunch of Canadian prairies guys play to cattle,” said Renyk.

She said the most recent event the Harambee Grandmas had been involved with was the Stride to Turn the Tide in July, which resulted in $2500 raised.

The Fabric and Yarn Sale event will take place at McKillop United Church Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the Yarn Sale and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Fabric Sale and whatever is left from their yarn sale.

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