Grandmothers United In Solidarity | Presentation by the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign
Grandmothers United in Solidarity: A presentation by the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
April 28, 2026 at 2:30 p.m.
From 2001 to 2006, Stephen Lewis served as the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa. During that time, the scale of the crisis was devastating. By 2001, nearly an entire generation of young adults in sub-Saharan Africa had been lost to AIDS, leaving an estimated 14 million children orphaned.
In response to what he witnessed, Stephen Lewis, together with his daughter Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, co-founded the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2003. The foundation was created to support community-led organizations working on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic across sub-Saharan Africa.
Amid this crisis, one truth became clear. It was grandmothers who stepped forward with extraordinary courage to care for their grandchildren. Many had already endured profound loss, yet they became the backbone of their families and communities.
Deeply moved by their strength, the Stephen Lewis Foundation organized the first International Grandmothers Gathering in Toronto in August 2006. The event brought together 200 Canadian grandmothers and 100 African grandmothers. Canadian participants listened to powerful stories of grief, resilience, and determination. They left inspired and committed to action, forming a movement rooted in solidarity and support.
Two decades later, that movement has grown into a powerful force for change. Through the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, more than $40 million has been raised to support grandmothers and the children in their care.
In the spring of 2025, a group of 16 Canadian grandmothers travelled to Eswatini and South Africa. Their journey offered an opportunity to connect directly with the partner organizations supported by the Stephen Lewis Foundation and to meet the grandmothers and children whose lives have been transformed by this work.
This presentation will share stories from that 2025 trip and highlight the ongoing impact of the foundation’s efforts. It is a testament to what can happen when compassion turns into action and when women across continents stand together in solidarity.
Please contact Luisa and Liana if you would like to attend, and confirmation of your participation will follow. Registration will be open until April 27.
613-809-2212
info@thevistaonsparks.com
412 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON K1R 0E4
