What can YOU do with a red shoelace?
Send an orphan child to school.

In Africa today 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS -- more than twice the number of children in all of Canada. Many of these children are in the care of their grandmothers. These elderly women, often with few resources, are challenged daily to keep the orphans safe, healthy and happy. It is a further challenge to educate them. School fees, uniforms and school supplies are out of reach for many grandmothers.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation partners with community-based organizations that create a
network of care around the orphans and their grandmothers, supporting them in every
possible way. From the payment of school fees and supplies to vocational training to grief
counselling, the community organizations resurrect lives and restore hope to families in
the wake of the pandemic. Royal City Gogos, (gogo means grandmother in
Zulu) together with women in 250 groups across Canada, fundraise for the SLF’s
Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

We know the SLF gets the money directly to projects that support grandmothers and the
orphans in their care. We believe Canadian children would like to help.

In collaboration with school staff, the retired educators in our group engage children in
selling red shoelaces for the SLF. In this way we can enable Canadian children to take action as global citizens. 
Getting to school in Africa is complex!  
Students need:
  • to feel safe in an environment free of stigma and discrimination
  • access to support and grief counselling
  • nutritious food to be able to focus 
  • ability to take ARV medication (without discrimination) if they are HIV positive
  • access to a school and a safe way to get there
  • supplies, uniforms, tuition (if school isn't free), kerosene lamp and oil for studying. ​While these costs may be minimal they are often insurmountable for households living in poverty.
Your school can help!
How it works...
Royal City Gogos will:
  • present a slide show to a class or assembly
  • order and pay for the shoelaces
  • give teachers and student campaign leaders complimentary shoelace
  • collect, count and remit the funds raised to the SLF
  • return to the school to present a “Global Citizen Certificate.”
We ask teachers to:
  • appoint a liaison​
  • sell the laces or arrange for students to sell them
  • ask student leaders to model ways to wear red shoelaces and to advertise the campaign
  • encourage student participation
We make it easy for teachers. We know how busy you are.
elementary_red_shoelace_brochure.pdf
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secondary_red_shoelace_brochure_copy.pdf
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