Unlocking the Power of Intergenerational Wisdom for Community Development
In communities around the world, grandmothers have long been revered as repositories of cultural knowledge, respected advisors, and catalysts for positive change. Yet, their immense influence and potential to drive transformative solutions for pressing global challenges have often been overlooked. The Grandmother Project – Change through Culture (GMP) is shedding light on the vital role of grandmothers and demonstrating how harnessing their wisdom can unlock innovative and sustainable approaches to improving the health, education, and well-being of women, children, and adolescents.
Grandmothers as Guardians of Cultural Tradition
Across non-Western cultures, grandmothers have historically played a central role in the lives of younger generations, serving as culturally designated advisors and caregivers. As experienced and respected family members, grandmothers hold a unique position of authority and influence, shaping the beliefs, practices, and behaviors of women and children throughout the life cycle – from pregnancy and newborns to older children and adolescents.
“Across non-Western cultures, grandmothers play similar core roles in family systems related to the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents,” explains Dr. Judi Aubel, co-founder and executive director of the Grandmother Project. “Yet, their significant influence is consistently overlooked in research and interventions promoting women’s and children’s well-being.“
This oversight, Dr. Aubel argues, stems from a combination of sexist and ageist biases, as well as the prevailing Eurocentric focus on the nuclear family model in the social sciences and public health. The use of this Western-centric framework has contributed to a limited understanding of the social and cultural dynamics within non-Western societies, where extended families and collectivist values shape the lives of women and children.
In these cultural contexts, strategies to support younger generations are influenced not only by parents but by various family members, including grandmothers. However, many health and development interventions have failed to achieve their desired impact due to their inadequate consideration of family structure and power dynamics, as well as their failure to recognize and engage with these crucial influencers within families and communities.
Grandmothers as Catalysts for Change
Contrary to the assumption that grandmothers are resistant to new ideas and unwilling to change, the Grandmother Project’s research has demonstrated that grandmothers are, in fact, open to learning and adapting their practices to promote the well-being of their families. When engaged respectfully and provided with new information, grandmothers have shown a remarkable willingness to challenge harmful traditional practices and become active agents of positive change within their communities.
The Grandmother Project’s work in Senegal provides a compelling example of this transformative potential. The Girls’ Holistic Development (GHD) Programme, implemented in partnership with local communities, has employed an intergenerational approach that recognizes grandmothers’ cultural authority and respects their established role as advisors to girls and families.
Through participatory activities, such as intergenerational forums, leadership training, and dialogue sessions with girls and mothers, the GHD programme has provided a platform for grandmothers to learn about the health and social issues affecting girls, share their experiences and perspectives, and collectively develop strategies to promote girls’ well-being. The results have been striking:
- Grandmothers participating in the intervention demonstrated increased knowledge, confidence, and openness to change regarding issues like girls’ education, child marriage, teen pregnancy, and female genital mutilation (FGM).
- Grandmothers became active change agents in their communities, fostering dialogue between generations and advocating for girls’ rights and well-being, including encouraging the abandonment of harmful practices.
- Girls in intervention communities reported stronger relationships with their grandmothers, who provided support and guidance as they navigated the challenges of adolescence.
An extensive evaluation of the GHD programme by Georgetown University researchers (2020–2021) found significant shifts in social norms and practices related to girls’ rights and development. In communities where grandmothers were involved, rates of school dropout, early marriage, and FGM decreased, while girls’ school performance improved.
Similar positive outcomes have been observed in other contexts where the Grandmother Project has supported the integration of grandmothers into health and development initiatives. In Sierra Leone, a grandmother-inclusive strategy implemented in a World Vision nutrition project led to significant improvements in maternal and child nutrition outcomes. In Mali, the inclusion of grandmothers in a nutrition project with Helen Keller International resulted in better prenatal care, improved diets for pregnant women, and greater adoption of exclusive breastfeeding practices.
Leveraging Grandmothers as a Cultural Resource
The Grandmother Project’s work highlights the immense potential of recognizing and engaging grandmothers as a vital cultural resource for promoting sustainable change. By understanding the specifics of wider and more collectivist family systems, and by using participatory and ethnographic methods to build trust and foster community ownership, researchers and practitioners can develop culturally relevant and effective solutions to address persistent challenges in maternal and child health, adolescent well-being, and gender equity.
“We need to shift our mindset from seeing communities as recipients of interventions to recognising them as partners in the change process,” emphasizes Dr. Aubel. “By engaging grandmothers and other key influencers, we can develop more effective and sustainable solutions that build on the strengths and wisdom of communities themselves.“
The positive outcomes of grandmother-inclusive interventions demonstrate the resourcefulness and resilience of communities, as well as the power of innovation through tradition. As the world grapples with complex global challenges, harnessing the wisdom and influence of grandmothers can unlock transformative and culturally grounded solutions that truly serve the needs of women, children, and adolescents.
To learn more about the Grandmother Project’s work and the impact of grandmother-inclusive strategies, visit their website at https://grandmotherproject.org/. You can also connect with them on social media at @TheGM_Project and Grandmother Project – Change through Culture.
Leveraging Intergenerational Wisdom for Sustainable Development
The Grandmother Project’s work in harnessing the power of grandmothers to drive positive change is a testament to the immense potential of intergenerational collaboration and the value of traditional knowledge. By recognizing and engaging with grandmothers as key influencers within family and community systems, researchers and practitioners can unlock innovative solutions to a wide range of global challenges.
Amplifying Grandmothers’ Voices in Global Health and Development
While grandmothers play a central role in the lives of women and children across non-Western cultures, their influence and expertise have often been overlooked in global health and development initiatives. The Grandmother Project’s research has demonstrated the vital importance of shifting this paradigm and actively involving grandmothers in the design and implementation of programs aimed at improving maternal and child health, adolescent well-being, and gender equity.
https://jointactionforwater.org/ has long recognized the significance of community engagement and the need to build on local cultural resources to drive sustainable change. The Grandmother Project’s work aligns with this approach, offering valuable insights and practical strategies for integrating grandmothers into community-based initiatives, particularly in the water and sanitation sector.
Harnessing Grandmothers’ Influence for Water and Sanitation Initiatives
Grandmothers play a crucial role in shaping family and community practices related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). As respected advisors and caregivers, grandmothers hold significant sway over household decision-making, resource allocation, and the socialization of younger generations around WASH behaviors.
By engaging grandmothers in the design and implementation of WASH programs, practitioners can leverage this influential position to drive more sustainable and impactful outcomes. Grandmothers can serve as champions for improved sanitation and hygiene practices, advocate for equitable access to clean water, and support the adoption of water-saving techniques within their households and communities.
Moreover, grandmothers’ deep understanding of local cultural norms, traditional knowledge, and community dynamics can provide valuable insights to inform the development of contextually relevant and effective WASH solutions. Incorporating grandmothers’ perspectives can help ensure that programs are responsive to the unique needs and circumstances of the communities they serve.
Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue and Knowledge Exchange
The Grandmother Project’s work emphasizes the importance of creating platforms for intergenerational dialogue and knowledge exchange, where grandmothers can share their wisdom and experience, while also learning from younger generations. This bidirectional flow of information and perspectives can lead to the co-creation of innovative, culturally grounded solutions that draw on the strengths of both traditional and contemporary approaches.
For example, in the water and sanitation sector, grandmothers may possess invaluable knowledge about traditional water management practices, herbal remedies for waterborne illnesses, or community-based approaches to maintaining sanitation infrastructure. By facilitating dialogues between grandmothers, mothers, and youth, program developers can foster the cross-pollination of ideas and unlock new pathways for addressing complex WASH challenges.
Advocating for Grandmother-Inclusive Policies and Programs
To fully harness the transformative potential of grandmothers, it is crucial to advocate for the integration of grandmother-inclusive strategies into global, national, and local policies and programs related to water, sanitation, and hygiene. This includes:
- Raising awareness among policymakers, development organizations, and funding agencies about the vital role of grandmothers in shaping community well-being and the importance of engaging them in WASH initiatives.
- Collaborating with grandmother-led organizations, such as the Grandmother Project, to develop evidence-based frameworks and toolkits for incorporating grandmother-inclusive approaches into WASH programming.
- Advocating for the allocation of resources and the creation of enabling environments that support the active involvement of grandmothers in community-based WASH initiatives.
- Documenting and disseminating the success stories and best practices of grandmother-inclusive WASH interventions to inspire replication and scale-up.
By amplifying the voices of grandmothers and ensuring their meaningful participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation of water and sanitation programs, we can unlock innovative, culturally relevant, and sustainable solutions that truly serve the needs of local communities.
Conclusion: Embracing Innovation Through Tradition
The Grandmother Project’s groundbreaking work has demonstrated the immense potential of recognizing and engaging grandmothers as catalysts for positive change. By challenging conventional wisdom and shifting the paradigm from viewing communities as passive recipients of interventions to acknowledging them as partners in the change process, the Grandmother Project has paved the way for more effective, culturally grounded, and sustainable solutions to address pressing global challenges.
As the world grapples with complex issues in maternal and child health, adolescent well-being, and gender equity, the Grandmother Project’s approach offers a promising path forward. By harnessing the wisdom, influence, and adaptability of grandmothers, we can unlock innovative strategies that build on the strengths and resilience of local communities. This process of “innovation through tradition” has the power to transform lives and create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
To learn more about the Grandmother Project and explore opportunities for collaboration, please visit their website at https://grandmotherproject.org/ or connect with them on social media. Together, we can amplify the voices of grandmothers and leverage their invaluable knowledge to drive lasting, community-led change.
