Fundraising
All funds raised though our activities are donated to the Grandmothers (G2G) Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF)
Our Education Team members are invited to speak at churches, service clubs, and community groups. Our 2010 delegate to the first International Grandmothers' Gathering in Swaziland will speak to community groups about the Manzini Statement and "Hope at the Grassroots".
Schools Project and the Red Shoe Lace initiative are ON HOLD.
ADVOCACY
Advocacy is at the core of OMAS SISKONA’s mission statement. As we raise awareness in ourselves and others about the lives of grandmothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa, we are engaged in advocacy.
In its early history, like many grandmothers groups within the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, OMAS SISKONA was active in promoting and seeking Canadian international development aid policies that benefit and improve the lives of the African Grandmothers and their communities. But over time, things have changed. By 2011 the active and politically engaged form of advocacy within the Grandmothers Campaign had evolved into a totally separate civil society organization, the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN). OMAS SISKONA no longer engages the Canadian government and local Members of Parliament on issues related to international development.
All funds raised though our activities are donated to the Grandmothers (G2G) Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF)
- Markets: our very active producers hold a market at our BENEFIT for AFRICA and contribute to numerous other markets at our meetings and special events throughout the community. Next Annual Fall Fundraiser: "BENEFIT for AFRICA" NOVEMBER 2023.
- DONATIONS: Once a year, usually in the Fall in concert with our Fall Market, OMAS approach family, friends and neighbours for donations to the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
- Annual "Chocolate, Chat and Change": members collect change from pockets, wallets, purses, sofas, over a period of time and bring the coins to our February "Valentine's" meeting to be counted and donated to the G2G campaign.
- CARD SALES: ongoing from the Textile Art Project of 2014-15, cards from 6 of the outstanding quilts submitted have been professionally photographed and printed.
See: https://www.omas-siskonakw.org/card-sale.html - OFF THE WALL Sale of Recycled Art 2017 and 2019 OMAS collects, assembles, displays and sells household art donated by the general public. Sales in May 2017 and May 2019 each raised about $10,000. Sales have been suspended.
- Torque (2013) and Bohemians in Brooklyn (2018) live stage productions presented by OMAS SISKONA of KW
- Textile Art Project 2014-2015
See separate drop-down menu. - Car Trunk Sale: similar to a garage sale but we sell our used items out of the trunks of our cars in a parking lot. This event has been discontinued.
- Kazuri Jewelry The Kazuri Jewelry Grandmothers Connection has now closed its books, but not before OMAS SISKONA raised $22,594.50 for the SLF!!! DISCONTINUED
- Third Party Fundraising: we promote our cause and the third party donates a percentage of the sales to the Stephen Lewis Foundation's G2G campaign. We thank Boston Pizza for participating in this fundraiser with OMAS from 2013 to 2018. OMAS is now looking for a new Third party Fundraising partner.
- Individual member contributions: at various times, members hold private events such garage sales, "Dare to Dine" dinners, sales of crafts, art, cards, knitting or scarves. We sell Hillcrest Little Traveler Pins from South Africa and OMAS SISKONA T- shirts. Two of our members walked El Camino in Spain and raised a significant amount of money from pledges and speaking engagements.
Our Education Team members are invited to speak at churches, service clubs, and community groups. Our 2010 delegate to the first International Grandmothers' Gathering in Swaziland will speak to community groups about the Manzini Statement and "Hope at the Grassroots".
Schools Project and the Red Shoe Lace initiative are ON HOLD.
ADVOCACY
Advocacy is at the core of OMAS SISKONA’s mission statement. As we raise awareness in ourselves and others about the lives of grandmothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa, we are engaged in advocacy.
In its early history, like many grandmothers groups within the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, OMAS SISKONA was active in promoting and seeking Canadian international development aid policies that benefit and improve the lives of the African Grandmothers and their communities. But over time, things have changed. By 2011 the active and politically engaged form of advocacy within the Grandmothers Campaign had evolved into a totally separate civil society organization, the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN). OMAS SISKONA no longer engages the Canadian government and local Members of Parliament on issues related to international development.
Grandmothers Campaign: https://grandmotherscampaign.org/
Stephen Lewis Foundation: https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/
Stephen Lewis Foundation: https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/