Pumpkin fundraiser now ready
- Details
- Published on Thursday, September 25, 2014
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
Joanne Bos proclaims fall is here again and “our pumpkins are ready for the fundraising.” The Rapid City area woman is referring to her seventh annual Africa outreach. She intentionally grows extra pumpkins in her garden to sell — by donation, not per pound — with all moneys being forwarded to Springs of Life Children’s Home in Burkura (Western Kenya) and Grandmothers for Grandmothers.
The orphanage was founded in 2007 by former Rapid City man, Ian White. In those seven years, he writes they have “saved over 130 children and placed 90 through our connections with adoption agencies. Most of our children find homes in 12-24 months. The number of children we help is only limited by our funding; I get much of our funding by building and selling houses.” Ian and his wife Petty are now back in Brandon, building their 13th home. The children’s home is staffed by nine women who are currently caring for 22 children; the youngest was three weeks old when she arrived, after being discovered abandoned in a sugar cane plantation. For more information about the orphanage email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 204-724-3404.
Grandmothers for Grandmothers was launched in 2006 by The Stephen Lewis Foundation as a response to the emerging crisis faced by African grandmothers as they struggled to care for millions of children orphaned by AIDS. This campaign aims to raise awareness, build solidarity and mobilize support in Canada for Africa’s grandmothers. It is a dynamic and responsive national movement with more than 240 grandmothers groups across the country, including Brandon’s own Prairie Grannies. Stephen’s foundation collaborates with grassroots groups that support grandmothers’ immediate needs such as nutritious food, health care, transportation, adequate housing and bedding, educational support, and longer-term needs such as parenting and business skills, micro-credit grants, bereavement counseling, HIV awareness training, counseling and testing and grandmother support groups. Since its inception only eight years ago, Canadians have raised an astonishing $19.5 million for this campaign. For more information about this program, visit grandmotherscampaign.org.
Pumpkins can be purchased at the Bos farm, 1.5 miles south of Rapid City on Hwy. 270 or 5.5 miles north of Jct. 25 and 270. Joanne says, “Donations are welcome and are easier than those heavy pumpkins!” For more information, please call Joanne at 204-826-2130.
