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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 12, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com SPACE AGE SHELVING The Storage Specialists Audience urged to lobby government Continued from page 336 In Home Consultation Apa me s Ap rtments par men Hom Offi es Home O fice ome fi Pant y Garage Pa try Garag at ra Laundry La nd y a C set Mi ror Clos ts & Mirror Doors t Mr 3350 Fairview Street between Walkers & Guelph Line 905-333-1322 2555 Erin Centre Mississauga 905-542-0353 www.spaceageshelvingburlington.com www.spaceageshelving.ca SAVE MONDAY, MAY 21st, 2007 at BRONTE CREEK PROVINCIAL PARK for the 2nd ANNUAL HALTON: they don't have money to pay for school fees, the shelter conditions are often ramshackle if that," said Lewis. "They are constantly beset by that inevitable and inextinguishable anxiety of `what happens to my orphan grandchildren when I die." This is where the grandmothers of Canada have come in. Lewis got the ball rolling raising awareness of the plight of Africa's grandmothers by bringing two to Canada for a press conference in March 2006 and then another 100 to the International AIDS Conference in August 2006. Since these events support for Africa's grandmothers by Canada's grandmothers has spread like wildfire. "At the time of our original press conference there were three to five grandmother's groups in Canada. At the time of the International AIDS Conference there were 35 or so. There are now 150 grandmothers groups across the country," said Lewis. "These incredible groups of women have rallied the broader community and since August 2006 have raised over $1 million." Oakville's own grandmother organization oomama, whose name comes from a South African tribal chant in which women would pray for their sisters past and present, was created in 2005 after LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER CENTRE OF ATTENTION: Stephen Lewis chats with audience Registration: 1:00pm ~ Walk Starts: 2:00pm For more information go to: www.als.ca/walkforals and click on Walk Locations to find HALTON WALK. Or contact als_halton@yahoo.ca Many thanks go out to our generous sponsors: PLATINUM GOLD SILVER W. CLYDE ROBERTSON INSURANCE LTD. members during the oomama fundraiser. some of its members heard evening, spurring the Canadian government into action was another. Lewis speak. Every person present was given a "We all left that night feeling overwhelmed by the stag- lobby letter urging the federal governgering statistics that were ment to make good on its 2004 commitmentioned. The 14 million ment to manufacture generic antiretroorphans in Africa and the viral medication. "Rest assured that Stephen Harper valiant efforts of their grandmothers who, after burying will have a stack of mail on his desk next their children, began caring week," said Ardell. Not a single letter remained at the for their grandchildren," said end of the presentation. Ardell. Besides Lewis' presentation those "It's really hard to get your head around that level of loss present were also treated to the hauntand grief and devastation but ingly beautiful music of Soul Influence a one of the women who was Toronto based African cappella septet, with us there that night who wowed the audience with a fusion of decided she would do some- distinct African languages and contemthing. That woman's name porary Christian gospel music. The group uses its music to spread was Carole Holmes and she gathered a group of about 10 awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic women together and formed and with members from Kenya, Zambia, a volunteer steering commit- the Democratic Republic of Congo and tee and the group became Zimbabwe Lewis' speech hits close to home. known as oomama." "It's touch," said Dorothy Ghettuba, While raising awareness and raising money for the of Soul Influence. "The reason why Soul Influence is so African grandmothers were the central goals of the passionate about this particular cause is because AIDS has touched each and every one of us in a different way. We have lost relatives and although none of us are positive, we know the painful effects it can have on people." While she finds the statistics concerning the lives lost and children orphaned difficult to hear the accomplishments mentioned by Lewis in the battle against AIDS gives Ghettuba something to hold on to. Welcome Wagon "We hear the statistics and we hear the numbers and it is saddening, but at can help! the same time you hear that voice of Exciting door prizes hope. The advances in the medical indus& gift bags for every try and things like that," she said. mom-to-be, come and "It's not such a hopeless fight. We experience what a know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we can see it and we are Welcome Wagon Baby g y marching towards it." Shower has to offer. More than anything Ghettuba would like to see people take a sense of empowerment away from the evening's presentation. "I want people to know that they can Terry Miller Recreation Centre do something. The most common feeling I find is that people say, `I'm here, 1295 Williams Parkway, 1:00 p.m. they are there and there is nothing I can do.' Admission is FREE! "I want people to know that they can For further information and make a difference and they can let other to receive an invitation, contact: people know that they too can join in this fight against AIDS." For more information visit www.welcomewagon.ca www.oomama.org. Having a Baby? avin ving y? Sunday, September 30, 2007 Brampton Baby Shower 1-866-283-7584