Front-Line Nurses Raise Money for AIDS Orphans
Ontario front-line nurses have presented a donation to the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign to support African grandmothers caring for children orphaned by AIDS, joining their counterparts from across Canada in raising money for the organization.
Members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) and ONA staff have donated more than $3,000 to the organization, launched by the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2006.
“Front-line nurses and allied health professionals, as well as the staff of ONA, are a caring group,” says President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “When we heard about the fundraising and work done by the Grandmothers to Grandmothers group, we came together and raised money through a silent auction of an exquisite quilt made by the mother of one of our members, and by purchasing hand-crafted Zulu AIDS pins.”
Many ONA members also made donations to the group at the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) conference held last June in St. John's, Newfoundland. CFNU President Linda Silas, RN, joined members of ONA at its conference held November 14 and 15 in Toronto to present the Grandmothers to Grandmothers organization with cheques from both organizations.
“Our hearts go out to the grandmothers in Africa who have buried their children and are finding themselves caring for their orphaned grandchildren,” says Silas. “We hope our efforts will fund some much-needed support for these brave women.”
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers program was launched to fund community-level organizations in 14 sub-Saharan African countries that provide food, housing grants, school fees for the grandchildren and grief counseling. There are an estimated 13 million children in African orphaned by AIDS.
In some countries, 40 to 60 per cent of orphans now live with the grandmothers. There are 150 Canadian grandmothers groups currently working to raise funds for the organization.
ONA is the union representing 53,000 front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals working in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community and industry.
For more information: Ontario Nurses' Association
Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369