The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign cyclist./PHOTO; Victori Grandmothers for Africa
A Canadian charity cycling campaign is raising funds for African grandmothers who are caring for grandchildren and supporting families affected by HIV and AIDS.
The Victoria Grandmothers for Africa (VG4A) is currently holding its 20th annual Cycle Tour, which began on August 9 and will run until September 13, 2026.
The fundraiser supports the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
The Cycle Tour allows participants to ride alone, with friends or in organised groups over several weeks. Riders can use regular bicycles, e-bikes, tandems or stationary bikes and set their own cycling goals.
The money raised supports grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa who have taken on responsibility for raising children, often after losing their adult children to AIDS-related illnesses.
The support helps them access social networks and resources while strengthening their ability to care for their families.
According to VG4A, supported grandmothers use these resources to send children to school, grow food, form savings and loan groups, share knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment, and create new sources of income.
They also advocate for their rights and work to hold governments and health systems accountable.
The wider Stephen Lewis Foundation supports community-led organisations working on health and human rights across Africa. In its 2024–25 reporting, the foundation said it funded 98 community-led organisations in 14 African countries.
VG4A says its 2025 Cycle Tour raised more than C$225,000, bringing the total raised through its first 19 tours to C$1.725 million for its partner grandmothers in Africa.
The ongoing 2026 campaign is therefore using cycling in Canada to channel resources towards locally led efforts that help African grandmothers care for children, strengthen household livelihoods and respond to the continuing effects of HIV and AIDS.
