One Bond at a Time

Title:  A Single Bracelet does not Jingle

One of my favourite African proverbs is, “A single bracelet does not jingle.”

When I read about the first Grandmother’s Gathering held in Toronto in August 2006, the statement issued at the end of the weekend reminded me of the words from the proverb. The African grandmothers were grateful to have been given a chance to be heard, and those of us in Canada were deeply moved by what we heard.

The Toronto Statement included, among others, the following promises: “We recognize that our African friends are consumed each day with the business of surviving, and so we have offered – and they have accepted – the loan of our voices,” and, “We will not rest until they can rest.”

Since then, the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign has grown to include over 240 groups across Canada and has raised more than 7 million dollars for African grandmothers and the children in their care.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation has directed these funds to community-level organizations in 15 sub-Saharan African countries that provide grandmothers with much needed support, such as food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren and grief counseling.

Dimensions:  23"W x 23"H

Artist:   Pat Czuczor