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Oomama sends representative to conference in Uganda by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver 27 | Friday, October 16, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com As Oakville-based Oomama prepares for its 10th anniversary in November, the organization recently recognized 13 founding members -- and sent a representative to Uganda where more than 1,000 grandmothers are assembling this month. In September, at the Harbour Banquet Centre, a volunteer appreciation dinner drew at least 60 people and featured a rose ceremony for nine of the Oomama founders in attendance. Oomama is a grassroots volunteer organization and one of more than 250 groups, Canada-wide, involved in the grandmothers-to-grandmothers campaign led by the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF). Oomama communications and media director Laurie Wierzbicki said it was important to honour the founding members because they started the organization that "we're so passionate about." "Because of them, we are able to do the work that we're doing -- raising awareness in our community, amplifying the voices of the African grandmothers and being advocates for them," said Wierzbicki. "I'm very inspired by these women for many reasons. They're a sector of our community that maybe people don't realize are very powerful in their voices. We look up to our elders, we respect them and they have the knowledge that life gives them." It is Wierzbicki who travelled this month to represent Oomama and SLF at the national AIDS conference. Hosted by a planning committee of five Ugandan organizations, the symposium was held from Oct. 5-7 and was attended by more than 20 Canadian and United Kingdom grandmothers, who are active members of their groups. Wierzbicki said the conference was to feature numerous dignitaries and political leaders, including Stephen Lewis. "The initiative is responding to the call from community-based organizations who support these grandmothers and what they see for their future. They can then engage in policy, legal and system changes that will impact them and the orphans in their care," said Wierzbicki. SLF worked with Oomama's local partners in Uganda to bring together nearly 1,000 Ugandan grandmothers for the three-day gathering to lay the groundwork for a stable network to support its work to eliminate HIV/ AIDS, locally and nationally. "I'm hoping in my lifetime that we will see the end of the AIDS crisis and the end of the pandemic. In our westernized world, we no longer see AIDS babies being born. We have the resources and the money to get the medications to the people that need it," said Wierzbicki. She noted the first two days were to be dedicated to an internal dialogue in which participants were to identify shared priorities, find a common platform of action and develop advocacy strategies. The last day of the conference was open for a "broader conversation about advancing grandmothers' rights" with local leadership, government representatives and potential partners within the United Nations (UN) system. "It's an historic gathering (as) it's never been done before in Uganda. see Oakville on p.29 Oomama members, from left, Kathy Margolese, Kathy Mason, Laurie Wierzbicki and Oomama founder Carole Holmes. Wierzbicki attended a conference in Uganda earlier this month as Oakvillebased Oomama prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in November. | submitted photo RON ROUSSEAUX M.C.I., T.E.P, C.P.C.A. Financial AdvisorManulife Securities Investment Services Inc. Ron Rousseaux is a well-known, successful and respected Independent Financial, Tax, Retirement and Estate Planner located in Burlington. 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