Victoria Grandmothers for Africa

Ballerina Kitty Phetla performing a rain dance in South Africa in 2017. "It was during the Western Cape drought and I performed the rain dance in the middle of... Thewaterskloof Dam, whose main reservoir was dry." Inspired by Queen Modjadji, The Rain Queen of the Balobedu people and shot on location at the nearly empty Theewaterskloof Dam, the dance was choreographed and performed by soloist Kitty Phetla. About a week after dancing at the reservoir, it started to rain in the Western Cape. Here is Kitty Phetla's account on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kittyphetla/

"I asked an elderly man once what it was like to be old and to know the majority of his life was behind him. He told me that he has been the same age his entire... life. He said the voice inside of his head had never aged. He has always just been the same boy. His mother's son. He had always wondered when he would grow up and be an old man. He said he watched his body age and his faculties dull but the person he is inside never got tired. Never aged. Never changed. Our spirits are eternal. Our souls are forever. The next time you encounter an elderly person, look at them and know they are still a child, just as you are still a child and children will always need love, attention and purpose." Via @Blue Rudge Believers

We have 50 people registered for our upcoming webinar. We still have lots of space available! Join our live webinar with Bianca Marais on February 24th @ 7:00 ...PM MST. Secure your spot by registering at Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/paying-tribute-to-the-grannies- All proceeds will go the SLF. Support our fundraising campaign here: https://slf.akaraisin.com//grandmothersp/t/Ujamaagrandmas Follow along the webinar and order Bianca's books here: https://bookmanager.com/1675575/ #webinar #africa #fundraiser The Stephen Lewis Foundation Owl's Nest Books Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign

This short note was written by Joanne Kepher Project Director at Pendeza Africa, an SLF partner in Kenya as she reflected on the progress she has seen in her community over the last decade. "We have seen women glowing consistently as the years move by. We are singing songs of victory whenever we remember the state of despair we have come from to voices of hope in the community. Ten years of walking together has led to greater understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses....There is hope; hope is the language that we have known over the years....We shall overcome; even HIV we shall overcome someday."

This week's VG4A Marketplace featured products are these exquisite pillow cases. They are $30, beautifully made in high quality cotton. A special gift that won't break if being mailed, and not outgrown in a couple of months. Check out the Marketplace at www.victoriagrandmothersforafrica.ca to find out how to order.

Wednesday, Nov. 25, is the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Individuals, civil society, grassroots organizations, UN agencies, and governments will join together to demand accountability for the protection of women and girls over the two-week period. https://www.unwomen.org//e/take-action/16-days-of-activism Here is a video clip from the Hillcrest AIDS Centre in South Africa (we visited this centre on our virtual cycle tour) marking day 1 of 16: https://fb.watch/1_cAuIeDbk/

To celebrate the rice harvest, artists in Northern Japan create giant animal sculptures from leftover rice straw.

After becoming President, I asked some of my bodyguard members to go for a walk in town. After the walk, we went for lunch at a restaurant. We sat in one of the... most central ones, and each of us asked what we wanted. After a bit of waiting, the waiter who brought our menus appeared, at that moment I realized that at the table that was right in front of ours there was a single man waiting to be served. When he was served, I told one of my soldiers: go ask that man to join us. The soldier went and transmitted my invitation. The man stood up, took the plate and sat next to me. While eating, his hands were constantly shaking and he didn't lift his head from the food. When we finished, he waved at me without even looking at me, I shook his hand and walked away! Soldier said to me: - Madiba, that man must be very sick as his hands wouldn't stop shaking while he was eating. Not at all! The reason for his tremor is another - I replied. They looked at me weird and said to them: - That man was the guardian of the jail I was locked up in. Often, after the torture I was subjected to, I screamed and cried for water and he came to humiliate me, he laughed at me and instead of giving me water he urinated on my head. He wasn't sick, he was scared and shook maybe fearing that I, now that I'm president of South Africa, would send him to jail and do the same thing he did with me, torturing and humiliating him. But that's not me, that behavior is not part of my character nor my ethics. Minds that seek revenge destroy states, while those that seek reconciliation build Nations Nelson Mandela (From Echeverría Martínez Chicali Wall ) See more

November 16December 7: Toronto Grandmothers Embrace invite you to learn about the life and music of Bob Dylan through a virtual presentation by musicologist Dr. Mike Daley. Register at Eventbrite and watch the presentation at your leisure any time from Nov. 16 through Dec. 7: https://www.eventbrite.ca/.../dr-mike-daley-presents-the....

Join us on November 25 at 6:30 pm to hear our guest, Jesse Wente, talk about "A Story of Joy. Vancouver Island University would like to invite you to this year...'s Indigenous Speakers series. Happening online, this unique 90-minute free event is designed to get people talking about truth and reconciliation from a different speaker's perspective every year. As an outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights and First Nations, Metis and Inuit art, Jesse Wente has spoken at numerous high-profile events, including the International Forum of Indigenous Peoples, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Canadian Arts Summit. You don't want to miss this. Register online by clicking the link below.