Grandmothers To Grandmothers

Have you heard about the Canadian campaign to help the thousands of grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren after their own children have died of AIDS?  I've read about it a number of times over the years, but it came to my attention again the other day and I checked to see if there is a group in my area.  There isn't.  So, I'm thinking of starting one.

"Toward the end of 2005, Stephen Lewis and his daughter Ilana Landsberg-Lewis (Executive Director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation) began discussions about how to support grandmothers in Africa. During his travels in Africa, Stephen heard first-hand from grandmothers about the challenges they face in raising their orphaned grandchildren.

At the same time, Ilana was reading countless proposals and recognized that grandmothers were increasingly fundamental to programmes working on AIDS at the grassroots. While SLF was already supporting women, orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS, it became clear that a fourth area had to be added to the mandate: support for grandmothers."

From the campaign website:
 www.grandmotherscampaign.org

Thus, the Grannie movement started in 2006, and already there are over 220 Grannie groups across Canada raising money for their counter-parts in Africa, and advocating for them. 

The concept appeals enormously to me.  I suppose because I'm a Grannie myself, and it has obviously spoken to hundreds of other Grannies across Canada, as they are an extremely active bunch of women!  Not only Grannies - many groups also include members who are friends, children or spouses of Grannies.

But, I'm reluctant to commit, something is holding me back.

I'm struggling with the question of whether I'm up to/want the challenge of starting such a group.  Do I want to jump head-first into this? (It's the only way I do things!)  My recent activities have become much more me-focused, which is what I needed, and I have been very careful not to get as heavily involved in community projects here as I was at our last home ... and I'm finding that I like it like that.  It works.

And yet ...

I look at my strengths:  I have been told I have excellent organizational skills (you don't survive a class full of 6 year olds for long if you haven't!! ;-). I'm told my enthusiasm is contagious and it draws people to me;  I have been quite successful at fund raising in the past; I enjoy a challenge; plus, I have a strong desire to help this cause.

On the negative side is the fact that I don't know many people here yet - I am untested and unknown in this area, and it would take an enormous amount of effort to build necessary contacts etc. (However, I do have two or three excellent neighbour friends who may help me.) And, there's this 'thing' pulling  me back ...

What to do??? 

During my first burst of enthusiasm I contacted the SLF organization and they are sending me material to help set up a group (they are VERY well-organized, which impresses me), I've spoken to the leader of one of the many groups in Ottawa and was given lots of tips and information, and I've been in email contact with other 'high-rollers' in the organization who will help me get started.

Have I made my decision?  Am I simply scared of jumping into it?  Am I thinking too much about it?


Possibly ...