Congratulations to all One World Grannies on a busy and successful year. The attached report celebrates all the fun we have had together and what we have accomplished, including contributing $25,000 to the SLF Grandmothers Campaign. Thanks to co-chairs Dianne Breton and Robin Scobie for pulling this report together.
One World Grannies: 2025 Review
We will not rest until they can rest
The Ottawa One World Grannies (OWG) provide support for and solidarity with grandmothers in Southern and Eastern Africa who are impacted by HIV and AIDS and caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Our efforts focus on three main areas:
- Fundraising on behalf of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign (G2G)
- Advocacy on behalf of grandmothers, their families and communities in 14 Southern and Eastern African countries where the SLF partners work. We do this in affiliation with the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN)
- Education to promote the expansion of the grandmothers movement, to raise awareness and to keep ourselves current about the situation in Africa
As of December 2025, The One World Grannies have 49 members. Each member gets involved with what they can, when they can, and each one makes a difference.
In this 2025 Review we celebrate the successes achieved this year.
January to May 2025
We held regular meetings on the 3rd Monday afternoon of each month, meeting on Zoom in the winter months and otherwise in person. We shared ideas, planned events and educated ourselves on the latest work of the SLF.
Different members took turns to represent our group at the monthly SLF Grandmother Campaign Calls and reported back at our meetings.
February 20
OWG participated in a workshop hosted by GRAN on Child Hunger in Canada and the Global South
April 22
OWG invited SLF Senior Manager, Healy Thompson to give a Zoom presentation on Collaborative Advocacy & Awareness Raising.
June
June 14: Stride to Turn the Tide: an Ottawa-Gatineau regional event to raise awareness and funds for the SLF. An energetic group of granny members walked around Dow’s Lake wearing signs “Ask Me Why I’m Walking”.
Organized by Sandi London and Sarah Archer
June 18: Stories on a Summer Evening
In 2025, the One World Grannies returned to the theme of our first storytelling event in 2007.
Our 18th event was held at the beautiful First Unitarian Congregation on Cleary Avenue. This was the third year of an invaluable partnership with the Unitarian GoGos.
As in previous years, a partnership with the Ottawa StoryTellers helped us gain some great performers. The amazing Emcee was Shelagh Jane Woods and the Unitarian Three Rivers Choir provided a lively musical number.
Storytellers included Nancy Edwards, Sandi London and Robin Scobie, Kim Kilpatrick, and Peggy Edwards and Lorraine Hopkins with “Grandkids Say The Darndest Things”. Shailja Verma closed the evening with some stirring words. It’s fair to say attendees went home in good spirits.
We sold over 90 tickets and had a number of generous donations to our website from friends who were unable to attend.
Chair, Peggy Edwards, with Lynn Hawkins, Val Swinton, Patricia MacDonald, Shailja Verma, Shelagh Jane Woods, Sandi London, Lorraine Hopkins, Kate Grierson & Unitarian GoGos Sheila Green
June 23: Our Summer Social and Potluck Gathering was held at Sue Smart and Sarah Archer’s condo party room with a delicious array of food. Wonderful as always to gather and have fun together.
July and August
Summer break when One World Grannies engaged in all types of diverse adventures.
September
September 7: Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign Bridge Crossing
One World Grannies and the Aylmer GoGos joined forces again this year to celebrate National Grandparents’ Day at the Adawe Crossing pedestrian bridge in Strathcona Park. Mme. Claudette Commanda, a well-respected Indigenous elder, grandmother (“Kokum” in Anishinaabe), and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa spoke, as did several local City Councillors and SLF staff members. It was a well-attended and celebratory awareness-raising event that that brought local grandmothers together and engaged members of the public. We were proud to raise our new One World Granny flag at the event.
Planning Group: Dianne Breton, Shelagh Jane Woods, Sarah Archer, Susan Brown, Kate Grierson & Aylmer GoGos Mia Overduin.
September 19-21: Participated with GRAN in Global Days of Action. Draw The Line, for people, for peace and for the planet.
September 22: Bi-annual Planning meeting
We met at the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre to review current OWG activities and to decide on future activities. In small groups we brainstormed and looked at what we were currently doing and what new ideas we might embrace. We shared a delicious buffet lunch to keep those ideas flowing.
We said Adieu to Shailja Verma as outgoing co-Chair and welcomed Robin Scobie, incoming co-Chair with Dianne Breton.
October
GRAN members of OWG working with SLF on the replenishment of the Global Fund.
November
November 17: Sandi London and Robin Scobie presented their SLF 2025 Trip to South Africa and Eswatini –Grandmothers United in Solidarity, at our busy OWG monthly meeting.
November 18: A meeting with MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre). Thank you to Shailja Verma and Shelagh Jane Woods for representing OWG and speaking about their experiences with the grandmothers’ movement and its impact. Leslie Wells and Leah Odle-Benson of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) and Spiwe Chakawa from Zimbabweand Mpumi Zondi from South Africa,representatives of SLF partner organizations, also spoke about the SLF and its commitment to supporting community-led organizations.
November 20: Les Belles Soeurs
Preview Performance held at the Gladstone Theatre to a sold-out crowd. This was a regional event to raise funds and awareness for the SLF. Many thanks to Lorraine Hopkins, a member of OWG and the play’s Director for making this event possible. It was a fantastic and fun evening and a great partnership with the Phoenix Players.
Planning Group: Sandi London, Sarah Archer and Lorraine Hopkins
November 25 – Dec. 10: GRAN 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign: A launch at City Hall included a proclamation by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and thoughtful remarks by GRAN member and One World Granny Jo-Anne Stead. City Hall was lighted in purple for the duration of the Campaign.
December
December 2: Cheese Please
One World Grannies celebrated a new fundraising record in its fifth annual cheese fundraiser. This year, we sold650 boxes of L’Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-Lac cheeses and sent just over $15,000 to the SLF for the Grandmothers Campaign, including almost $4000 in donations. This is close to a $6,000 increase over 2024! This year, with five groups participating, the Ottawa-Gatineau Region netted a grand total of $36,743.
The bonus was a fun gathering of Granny members sorting cheeses and packing boxes.
Co-Chairs: Carolyn Harrison & Sue Ernst with Lynn Hawkins, Cathy Blauer, Mary Jane Sterne, Sandra Stec, Shailja Verma, and Shelagh Jane Woods
December 15: Our wonderful Holiday Gathering, hosted by Shelagh Jane Woods
About 20 One World Grannies attended our fun and festive Holiday Gathering, filled with yummy foods, and great chats! So lovely to be together.
OWG 2025 Financial Year
A financial overview by Treasurer Mary Jane Sterne shows that the Stephen Lewis Foundation received approximately $25,000 from the One World Grannies in 2025. This includes approximately $7000 in donations made through the OWG website, as well as directly to the SLF website.
For more information …
One World Grannies: https://oneworldgrannies.ca
Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign: