Siphewe Hlope, organizer of the first African Grandmothers' Gathering and March, cheers on her fellow grandmothers in Manzini, Swaziland on May 8, 2010. (Ricki Horowitz)

Submitted by Lisbie Rae

They marched in the thousands, grandmothers from Ethiopia, gogos from South Africa, nya nyas from Kenya,  sho shos from Zambia, nanas from Namibia, grannies from 13 African countries, marching in solidarity through Manzini, Swaziland, in the first-ever International Grandmothers' Gathering on African soil.

Striding out right alongside them were 42 Canadian grandmothers, members of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, which raises funds and awareness here in Canada for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.   

In 2006, at the first Grandmothers' Gathering in Toronto, grandmothers from Canada pledged, "We will not rest until our African sisters can rest." Now, marching arm in arm  with African grandmothers, they renewed that pledge and took it to the next level - involving the international community in the crucial work of combating HIV/AIDS.   

"Phezu Kom Khono!" rang out over a loudspeaker, and thousands of voices, African and Canadian, took up the call.  

"Raise your arms, women!"  is the call of SWAPOL (Swaziland Positive Living), and the voice on the speaker was that of its founder, Siphiwe Hlophe.  Described as a "force of nature" by Lewis, Siphiwe is the indomitable organizer of the gathering, which celebrates the work of African grandmothers in beating back the ravages of HIV/AIDS on the continent. In a country with the highest percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS, SWAPOL works tirelessly to support grandmothers raising their orphaned grandchildren, hammer home the message of prevention, and organize myriad counselling and care initiatives. With them every step of the way is the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which has funded over 300 grassroots projects in 15 sub-Saharan countries since 2003.

Songs and chants broke out spontaneously along the way, as strong women's voices rose in unison. Bent over with arthritis and years of back-breaking work, older grannies leaned on younger arms to struggle up the hill from the centre of Manzini to the Mavuso Trade Centre.  They could have ridden in one of the vans provided, but "No," they said, "I'm here to WALK!"   

Grandmothers held hands as they shared their stories - six of seven children dead, no wage earner left in the family, subject to violence and eviction - the heartbreak seems to have no end. Yet here they are, not only surviving, but sustaining their remaining family and holding together whole communities. They are indeed the backbone of their communities, the heart of the continent's response to HIV/AIDS.

The Grandmothers' Gathering is a clarion call to the world to pay attention to the phenomenal work of these women. At the workshop sessions the day before the march, they spoke out about the enormity of the tasks they perform on a daily basis, the solutions they have invented out of desperate need, the tremendous support they draw from collaborating with other women. They clearly identified their immediate and long-term needs, which were summarized in a call to action.

"We stand here today battered," it begins, "but not broken. We are resilient and stand unwavering in our resolve to move beyond basic survival to forge a vibrant future for the orphans and grandmothers of Africa." The demands begin with economic independence, nutritious food and decent housing; include ongoing quality education and conclude with a richer quality of life for them all.

The grandmothers do not want continuous handouts, nor do they want pity from the developed world. Their insistence on integrity and autonomy is clear: "We must have the resources to build our own capacity to raise healthy families and assist one another. We call for more training in critical areas such as home-based care, HIV/AIDS education, on parenting orphaned children and adolescents, health care, literacy and financial management."  

They insist on urgent action in three priority areas: violence against grandmothers, meaningful support, and laws to ensure the safety and rights of grandmothers and their grandchildren.

At the end of the walk, African and Canadian grandmothers stood side by side and committed to turn the tide of AIDS. "We are strong, we are visionary, we have faith and we are not alone," they said in solidarity.  

As the Canadians left their African sisters behind in Manzini, tear-streaked faces and endless hugs testified to the depth of their commitment to their new mission. They had come to Africa filled with excitement to meet the people on whose behalf they had been advocating, for whom they had raised $7 million in four years, whose far-away lives had become intertwined with their own. Now, here, the stories from Africa had transformed into real African women: powerful, resilient African women who united with their Canadian sisters in an unbreakable bond.  

The Canadians are transformed. They arrived in Manzini committed to the cause, they left fiery advocates for the real women they had hugged, marched beside, promised to support.  They will go home to raise a storm of protest across the country that cannot be ignored.  HIV/AIDS is not just Africa's problem - the response must be global.

The message that 42 Canadian grandmothers are bringing back to Canada is that African grandmothers must have the resources they need to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS.

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