GRAND Magazine - Summer 2023 - 10

grandmother collective
Organizations are recognizing the potential of grandmothers in supporting
community connection and development. In Zimbabwe, the Friendship
Bench program trains grandmothers to provide community-based therapy
and has successfully addressed depression when state-run support
was lacking. Grandmas2Go, a nonprofit in Oregon, trains older women to
mentor at-risk families while keeping aging adults active and engaged.
These examples showcase how grandmothers are the key to strengthening
the community fabric and restoring community resilience.
As many societies are navigating aging populations, there continues
to be a necessary reframing of what it means to advance in age. Older
people are engaging in third, fourth and fifth acts - constantly pivoting
and reskilling well into their later years to adapt to our changing world.
One of the keys to the success of organizations like Friendship Bench
or Grandmas2Go is a recognition that grandmothers are partners for
change. They are not just default caretakers or a population needing
care. They know their communities and understand how to get things
done. They have time, experience, and wisdom. And they are already
doing work in many communities as volunteers and caretakers. They are the " unsung
heroes of the American Economy " as Fortune magazine pointed out earlier this year and pillars of the
social safety net for many families as well.
Humans are hard-wired for social connection but are now navigating an epidemic of loneliness and
isolation. Who better to help us reconnect and re-engage than female elders who are keepers of culture,
community healers, and providers of care? It's clear that grandmothers hold a unique social status
as family and community leaders and their traits like empathy, compassion, trust,
wisdom, and reliability are nearly universal around the world. By recognizing the
importance of grandmothers' leadership and highlighting their key role in society,
Grandmother Collective aims to show that we can tap this abundant and powerful
resource to improve our world.
Learn more about and join the Grandmother Collective movement HERE.
10 GRAND Summer 2023
We believe grandmothers and
social change organizations, united
together, can be a powerful force
to heal our broken planet.
Dr. Lynsey Farrell is a
cultural anthropologist
and supporter of changemaking
everywhere. She cofounded
the Grandmother
Collective to shine a light on
the power of older women in
societies around the world to
make effective, sustainable,
and lasting change in their
communities.

https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://www.friendshipbenchzimbabwe.org/ https://www.friendshipbenchzimbabwe.org/ https://familynurturingcenter.org/programs-services/grandmas2go/ https://sports.yahoo.com/unsung-heroes-american-economy-grandmothers-133000437.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH5NgeFoRefk6YhkkuTK9ZP9gZMLon24Pntk-5fmuTOW17skyGltE74LPMKkLzganJIRMoHG3YzS9GUKiN6HqTAc79M5vG9hwzbv0Xg1ZAb9roRepvpBRB1toobRoL4J_wjCXS_bP6YEGyGxxeM1HaVhylzWN--MRrLINfS5W3OX https://sports.yahoo.com/unsung-heroes-american-economy-grandmothers-133000437.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH5NgeFoRefk6YhkkuTK9ZP9gZMLon24Pntk-5fmuTOW17skyGltE74LPMKkLzganJIRMoHG3YzS9GUKiN6HqTAc79M5vG9hwzbv0Xg1ZAb9roRepvpBRB1toobRoL4J_wjCXS_bP6YEGyGxxeM1HaVhylzWN--MRrLINfS5W3OX https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2022/10/13/kim-samuel-what-it-means-to-belong/?sh=74c5a32c72e8 https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html https://www.grandmothercollective.org/ https://www.grandmothercollective.org/ https://www.grandmothercollective.org/ https://www.grandmothercollective.org/ https://www.grandmothercollective.org/

GRAND Magazine - Summer 2023

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