Global funding for HIV and AIDS programs is dropping. A Niagara-on-the-Lake fundraiser is here to help \u2014 and is warning that shrinking international aid has left frontline groups with a fraction of the funding they once had.<\/p>\n
The April 23 event, hosted by Nyanyas of Niagara in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, will feature former Ontario premier and Canada\u2019s former ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae and the foundation\u2019s executive director, Meg French.<\/p>\n
It will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at Central Niagara on York Road.<\/p>\n
Cindy Grant, a member of Nyanyas of Niagara, said the timing is critical as \u201cinternational aid, particularly from the U.S., but also across the globe, has been drastically cut,\u201d affecting community-led programs across sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the Stephen Lewis Foundation has put out a plea to all of the\u00a0grandmothers groups across Canada,\u201d Grant said: \u201c\u2018Please raise as much money as you can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The group, which has operated for about a decade, sends 98 per cent of what it fundraises directly to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. It has contributed more than $130,000 to date.<\/p>\n
Funds support efforts including health care, schools and basic services for communities where \u201cgrandmothers were raising these children with absolutely no supports,\u201d said Grant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
This week, Canada is saying goodbye to the co-founder of the foundation, Stephen Lewis, who died on March 31 at the age of 88 after a battle with cancer.<\/p>\n
Lewis was the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party for eight years and the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations for four years. In the 2000s, he was part of the UN\u2019s special envoy for HIV\/AIDS in Africa and created the foundation with his daughter Ilana Landsberg-Lewis.<\/p>\n
In a written statement, Grant said the Nyanyas of Niagara members are \u201cvery saddened\u201d to learn of Lewis\u2019 passing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our founding members Sandra Hardy had the privilege of meeting him a few times and remembers his warmth and passion for his work combatting the effects of HIV & AIDS and related issues in Africa,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Grandmothers group in Niagara-on-the-Lake is proud to support this important work as a tribute to his foundation and as an honour of his legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant encouraged residents to support local work, charities and projects \u2014 \u201cbut it\u2019s also important to support the work internationally,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The goal is simple, Grant added: \u201cRaise some money and raise awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n