Current activities
In collaboration with its partner organizations, The Grandmother Project is currently working on several activities in Senegal, Mauritania and Nicaragua:
Senegal: Culturally-appropriate approach to discouraging female genital mutilation (FGM)
In 2006, The Grandmother Project developed an approach for understanding community perspectives on FGM and eliciting community recommendations for the development of community strategies to discourage this practice. The project involved initiating dialogue on the issue of FGM; establishing confidence and communication between World Vision (WV) community health/development workers and community members on this sensitive issue; and involving communities in identifying their own strategies for dealing with this problem. World Vision is now launching a wider project in which the participatory community approach developed by GMP will be used. GMP is also hoping to prepare a publication on the community methodology so that other organizations and programs can learn from the GMP-WV experience in Velingara.
- Report on intergenerational dialogue (pdf file) English
- Read GMP Bulletin on FGM (pdf file) English
- A qualitative community study on FGM in Senegal (pdf file) English
- Workshop: "Utilizing a neglected resource for community nutrition and health programs: The grandmother-inclusive approach"
In December 2007, the Grandmother project conducted two workshops in Senegal on “grandmother inclusive programming” for community nutrition and health programs. This activity was supported by the national ‘Nutrition Enhancement Program’ (funded primarily by the World Bank), with participants from twelve NGOs involved in community nutrition programs. The purpose of the three-day workshop was to challenge managers and implementers of community nutrition programs to reconsider the role and influence of grandmothers in families and communities and to learn about the grandmother inclusive approach. Workshop results included: a greater awareness of the participants of the role and influence of grandmothers on family nutrition and health practices; agreement among all participants that grandmothers constitute a valuable resource for community nutrition and health programs; and draft plans made by participants from each organization for increasing grandmother involvement in ongoing community programs.
- Workshop synopsis (pdf file) English- West Africa: Training for grandmothers on “Leadership in Health Promotion”
In collaboration with a graduate student in international education and health from the Institute of Education in London, GMP is developing developed a set of participatory learning activities (exercises) for use with GM leaders to strengthen both their knowledge of priority maternal and child nutrition & health topics and their skills as community leaders. In collaboration with World Vision these materials were tested with GM groups in southern Mauritania in July-August 2007. This was a first step in development of these participatory learning materials. Starting in June 2008 World Vision staff working in peri-urban areas of the capital city will be trained to use these same materials with groups of GMs in the urban context. It is hoped that resources will be available to translate and print these materials in English, French and Spanish for use in different countries.
- Senegal: Intergenerational learning
In late 2006, GMP developed a booklet on the role of grandmothers in the Halpular culture for use in schools and literacy classes in southern Senegal, with support from World Vision. The booklets are now being used in more than 30 schools. We plan to offer a prize in the spring for the two schools that have used the booklets as a catalyst for strengthening intergenerational communication between children and grandparents.
- See booklet sample pages (pdf file)
- Read final report (pdf file)
- West Africa: Strengthening training programs at the Regional School of Social Work in Dakar, Senegal
In 2006 The Grandmother Project signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National School of Social Work in Dakar, Senegal in order to provide support to the school for its research and training activities. GMP plans to provide technical support to students from several West African countries to help them conduct small studies on the role of grandmothers in child health and development in their respective countries. GMP also plans to provide inputs into the school curriculum related to: the role of elders in society and in development programs; the role of grandmothers in different socio-cultural contexts; how cultural values and traditions can be integrated into development programs; and strategies for involving both senior women and men in development programs. GMP and the National School of Social Work are looking for financial resources in order to carry out the planned activities.
West Africa:Training for grandmothers on “Leadership in Health Promotion”
In collaboration with a graduate student in international education and health from the Institute of Education in London, GMP is developing a set of participatory learning activities (exercises) that will be used with GM leaders to strengthen both their knowledge of priority maternal and child nutrition & health topics and their skills as community leaders. In collaboration with World Vision these materials will be tested with GM groups in Mauritania in July-August 2007. This will be a first step in development of these participatory learning materials. It is hoped that resources will be available to produce these materials in English, French and Spanish for use in different countries.
Mauritania : Decreasing malnutrition in urban slums in Nouakchott
In late 2006, with support from World Vision, The Grandmother Project coordinated a rapid assessment of the socio-cultural factors related to the very high levels of malnutrition in young children in the slum areas around the capital, Nouakchott. The results of the study will be used to develop a strategy to fight malnutrition based on the prevalent cultural roles and practices. A major finding of the study was that grandmothers play a leading role in households and in the community in promoting good nutritional practices and in dealing with malnourished children. The strategy, that is now being developed will necessarily involve an important role for grandmothers and grandmother leaders and GMP hopes to be involved in providing technical assistance for development of the new strategy.