About a year ago, there was a call out for contributors for an anthology - Grandmothers' Necklace, the brainchild of Patricia Ann Elford, a teacher, pastor and member of the Petawawa Grannies. I had no clue who the Petawawa Grannies were, only that they were somehow connected to the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF). Still basically clueless about what SLF was really about, I realized I had homework to do.
So I checked out the website www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/grandmothers.htm and learned and contemplated. I am in awe of what Granny groups across the country are doing for sub-Saharan African grandmothers. Grandmother groups across the country assist struggling grandmothers in Africa who
have not only lost their own children to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, but they face the rest of their lives wondering how to provide the basic necessities as they raise their grandchildren.
have not only lost their own children to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, but they face the rest of their lives wondering how to provide the basic necessities as they raise their grandchildren.
It's times like that when you wonder how to help. I jumped at the opportunity to submit a story. The sales and profits are 100% given to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to help better the lives of these quietly courageous African grandmothers.
Grandmother’s Necklace, a collection of inspiring stories, is the outcome of Elford’s brainchild. This remarkable anthology includes writings by 61 authors from across Canada, the United States and Ireland. The book also contains narratives from five African grandmothers.I am honoured to be in the company of fine writers such as Carolyn Wilker, Ruth Smith-Meyer Phil Callaway, Kathleen Gibson, Judy Maddren, Patricia Elford, L. June Stevenson, and others.
The Kitchener launch of Grandmothers’ Necklace will be held Saturday, May 1, 2010, from 2pm until 4 pm at St. Philip's Lutheran Church, 236 Woodhaven Road in Kitchener. We are really looking forward to a great turnout. Some of the contributors will be in attendance and will be reading excerpts from Grandmothers' Necklace. I even had the honour of having my mugshot on the cover of the book. So if you happen to be in the area...come on out and sit a while. The Omas Siskona - the Granny group from Kitchener, Ontario, will be hosting the event and providing refreshments for the day!
My prayer is that God will be present and stir the hearts into realizing how blessed we are here and how if every one does something small, it can lead into something much bigger for those dear souls in sub-Saharan Africa. I cannot imagine the struggles these grandmothers face. But, being a grandmother myself, I sure can understand the motivation. If we each do our part, what a wonderful world it could be!~
Your posting reminded me of something I believe Mother Teresa once said.... if you can't feed 100, feed one.
ReplyDeleteAnd my congrats to you on being one of those who have contributed to what looks like an amazing anthology. And in such fine company, as you say!
Thanks for sharing. Always love to see who's doing what.
Sounds like such a worthwhile project!
ReplyDeletePam Mytroen