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     Voices of GMP supporters

  • Malick Diara, Manager of Malaria Program, Management Sciences for Health:

"During my professional and personal experience in Africa and the Caribbean, I have been amazed by how influential mothers and aunts are in the education of their grandchildren. That influence is even greater in traditional settings. Due to their significant decision-making power, it is quite strategic to seek health and education improvements through grandmothers and GMP is creatively addressing these important issues."

  • Donald Graybill, Ed.D - Director, Basic Education and Policy Support Project ; Deputy Director, Education, Mobilization and Communication Division, Creative Associates International, Inc.:

"Grandmothers are the cultural gatekeepers between the past, the present and the future. They are the revered leaders whose wisdom transcends and links generations of the past with those of the future. Grandmothers are the revered leaders of their children, and their children's children. Their abilities and potential to lead, participate in, shape, impact and guide health and community development interventions cannot be overstated. Indeed, in the fight for child survival, Grandmothers are critically important champions whose talents and influence remain under-explored across far too many developing country settings. In a world where maltnutrition robs children of their potential; where HIV-AIDS is a pandemic that tears the fabric of families, countries and communities apart; and where children become orphans living on the margins, the leadership and involvement of Grandmothers in health, education and development campaigns of every type takes on an increasingly higher level of importance. Indeed, their hearts, wisdom, spirit and knowledge are critical to saving lives, and preserving and protecting the generations that will lead and bridge to the future. Their energy and commitment need to be forged within the mainstream of development strategies. Their voices are desperately needed to be added to the chorus which transcends generations, cultures and political boundaries. Their leadership can be the beacons that help disperse dire circumstances and move us all to more hopeful futures."

  • Anita Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer,  Member of the National Legislative Council of the American Association of Retired People (AARP):

"I strongly support the Grandmother Project because it utilizes a natural resource revered in most cultures as a powerful educational tool to promote family health and well-being. The techniques used to engage grandmothers can be replicated in a wide range of cultures."

  • Elisabeth Mealey, Communications Specialist - Australia:

"The Grandmother Project is an exciting new force in the development sphere as it recognises where much of the authority and knowledge lies within traditional societies. Casting new light on the role of grandmothers is an important step towards building stronger and healthier communities."

  • Marian F. Zeitlin, Director EcoYoff Sustainable Local Development Program, NGO CRESP - Senegal; Visiting Professor Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Courtesy Professor Cornell University Division of Nutritional Sciences:

"According to archeological evidence, grandmothers began to improve human survival of human around 30,000 years ago. Thank goodness GMP has started to recognize their contribution and to support their efforts.   Grandmothers are authorities in traditional wise practices. Now, however, new scientific knowledge of child survival and development oblige us all to engage in life long learning.  Grandmothers are no exception. This is the first project to include grandmothers in this learning process and to make it possible for them to integrate modern scientific knowledge into their valuable life experience and child care assistance. GMP uses dynamic positive approaches to empower grandmothers, and succeeds in celebrating their role at the same time as it increases their effectiveness."

  • Dr. T. Scarlett Epstein, Director: SESAC (Scarlett Epstein Social Assessment Consultants) - UK; PEGS (Practical Education and Gender Support) - UK; INTERVENTION (Social, Environmental and Public Policy Consultants) - South India:

"I support the GMP mission because my many years of studying micro-societies made me appreciate the strategic role grandmothers play as socialisers of successive generations. In Developing societies they ensure the perpetuation of traditional wisdom and behavioural norms and if social changes are considered desirable grandmothers provide the key to the implementation of such changes."

  • Mohamed AgBendech, Regional nutrition and child survival advisor, Hellen Keller International - Senegal:

"Dans les societes africaines, les grand meres jouent un role fondamental dans la stabilite des familles et dans l'appui conseil aux jeunes meres. Dans la milieu touareg, elles prodiguent des soins en utilisant le vaste arsenal de remedes traditionels, elles sont aussi des accoucheuses et encadrent les jeunes femmes enceintes ou allaitant. Elles sont tres proches de la diade mere -enfant. Lorsqu'elles sont encadrees et leurs capacites d'action renforcees, cela peut se repercuter immediatement sur l'amelioration de la sante et de l'etat nutritionnel des femmes et des enfants. Cette amelioration pourra rapidement se generaliser et se maintenir dans le temps."

  • Banda Ndiaye, National Health Coordinator / World Vision - Senegal:

"Most child and maternal community health programs that are working in Africa, are focused on mothers as key person who needs to change their behaviours or access to new knowledge in order to improve the health status of children or women. My own living environment as well as the more than fifteen years experience with community health programs in Senegal, convinced  me that we definitely need to include grand mothers in the actors of these programs. Grand mothers play a deep and essential roles in our African extended family in general and particularly in all aspects related to the health and nutrition concerns."

  • Sixte Zigirumugabe, USAID - Mali:

"I firmly believe that health programming in Africa would benefit from including grand mothers among prime targets of behaviour change endeavours. Young women in reproductive age seek advice from mother in-law and older women on specific practices such as contraception, nutrition, management of childhood diseases including fevers.

In order to achieve a productive inclusion of grand mothers in health programming, an advocacy action targeting funding agencies and development partners must be conducted continuously and tirelessly, at national and international levels.

In addition, myths such as old women have no role to play in health promotion because they are old fashion, conservatives, opposed to new ideas, etc… must be swept away. For that to happen, the Grand Mother Project needs to seek active collaboration with national and international decision makers in the areas of health and education, so that tomorrows health agents, in schools and universities today, be exposed to reality regarding the huge influence of grand mothers in their respective communities.

For the moment, we are more concerned with health matters, for the long run however, it will be important to note that the Grand mothers influence extends far beyond the health sector."

  • Shawn Baker, Regional Director for Africa, Hellen Keller International - Senegal:

"My most convincing experience with grandmothers has been in Niger. In this country with a low access to health facilities, we were struggling with finding a strategy to ensure that women could receive and take iron+folic acid tablets during pregnancy and in the post-partum period. We identified Traditional Birth Attendants, who are invariably well-respected older women in the community, as having unequalled access to and influence with mothers. The strategy has been very successful and the work with these grandmothers has been very fulfilling for our staff, health workers and for the grandmothers themselves."

 


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