Grandmothers’ Plant And Bake Sale

Susan Howlett | May 22, 2013

Do you like browsing at plant sales, looking for something different? Something you won’t find at most garden centres? On Saturday, June 1, the fifth annual Grandmothers’ Plant & Bake Sale will be held in front of Tiffany Gift Shoppe in Harrowsmith at 10 a.m. sharp (no early-bird sales). Home baking and a wide variety of plants grown by the Grandmothers by the Lake and their supporters will be offered at modest prices to benefit the Grandmothers Campaign -- a very deserving cause.

Grandmothers by the Lake is one of over 250 grandmother groups across Canada dedicated to helping the grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa who have been severely impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Grandmothers Campaign, launched in 2006 by the Stephen Lewis Foundation, raises money for grassroots projects begun by and for those African grandmothers who are, in the words of Stephen Lewis, “the unsung heroes” of Africa. Despite having to cope with the deaths of their own children, these grandmothers must carry on with the task of raising their orphaned grandchildren in communities that are devastated by the AIDS virus and impoverished. In many communities, small and large, the grandmothers have formed support groups to deal with issues such as feeding, clothing, and sending their grandchildren to school; health care; AIDS education; grief counselling; and skills development for self-sufficiency.

It is for these grassroots projects, initiated and run by African women, that the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation raises funds. The money we raise not only helps to support these vital projects, but also bolsters the African grandmothers’ strength and courage to continue with their struggle, knowing that the grandmothers of Canada care.

We believe that the grandmother movement is one way to make a difference in our world.

So come to the sale, pick up some interesting plants and delicious home baking, and if you’re interested, talk to members of Grandmothers by the Lake about what our group does.