Grandmothers get it done
More than just the matriarchs of society, grandmothers are uniquely positioned to be powerful agents of change. They are the torchbearers of culture and tradition who can use their status to shift the trajectory for the younger generation, especially for girls. Far from invisible, these older women are making themselves seen and heard in spaces once reserved for men — and they are making a difference.
The Grandmother Collective is a membership-based nonprofit that is harnessing the power of grandmothers across the world to improve outcomes in educational attainment, health and well-being, family support, domestic violence, environmental activism, social cohesion, and other issues that shape quality of life in communities. The Grandmother Collective recognizes that change is often locked behind the gates of culture, and grandmothers are the key. Leveraging their collective wisdom and experience opens the possibilities and offers hope for a better future.
Some of our member organizations inspire us with proof of the power of female elders:
The Grandmother Project — Founded by Dr. Judi Aubel in 2005, this research-based program in Senegal engages grandmothers to improve maternal nutrition, education for girls, and teen pregnancy rates, while working to curb early marriage and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). The program has reduced parental plans for FMG in Senegal from 44% to 18%, and increased girls’ completion of secondary school from 14% to 32%. The Grandmother Project trains other nongovernmental organizations across the region.
The Friendship Bench — This model program was founded in Zimbabwe by Dr. Dixon Chibanda, a clinical psychiatrist who wanted to fill the gap in mental health services in rural areas and communities where such care is stigmatized. Grandmothers are trained to provide care and counsel to others in an accessible and approachable way, meeting their patients on a bench to sit and talk without pressure. The program has improved mental health outcomes for participants by 79%.
Grandmas2Go Family Coaches — This program in Medford, Oregon, trains senior women to provide nurturing and support to parents of children ages 0 to 3, years that are critical to growth and development. The volunteers act as surrogate grandmothers, sharing parenting advice and emotional guidance, especially to at-risk families. The program helps children get a healthy start and builds a community for new parents to realize they are not alone.
The Grandmother Collective is growing and needs your support. To learn more about the work that we do or to get involved, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Use the hashtag #GrandmothersGetItDone.
