Online Reporter
Oliver Kazunga-Senior Reporter
FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has requested the public and private sectors to open doors for rehabilitated and skills-trained youths who are being equipped with various skills, including construction, mining, farming and many others.
The request is aimed at ensuring that the progress made in rehabilitation translates into meaningful livelihoods, enabling the young people to put their newly acquired skills to use, regain their independence and successfully reintegrate into society.
The call came during the send-off ceremony of the ninth intake from the Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Mbare, Harare, on Tuesday, where multitudes of graduates marched, sang and drilled before cheering families in a powerful display of recovery.
It was a reminder of the new battle they now face: finding employment.
Indeed, people once trapped in the grip of drug and substance abuse celebrated a new beginning as marching feet, rhythmic songs and joyous ululation filled the centre as graduates prepared to proceed to Dadaya Training Centre in Zvishavane for the next stage of their recovery.
For the parents and guardians gathered at the centre, it was more than a graduation ceremony.
It was a homecoming and a moment to celebrate children they had feared they might lose to addiction.
The young men and women marched smartly, executed impressive drill demonstrations, sang and danced with confidence a striking picture of how far they had come since arriving at the centre.
The graduates, drawn from different parts of the country, will spend three months undergoing institutional vocational training, followed by another three months of community attachment.
The programmes are designed to consolidate the discipline and personal transformation achieved at the Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre while preparing beneficiaries for productive and self-reliant lives.
The send-off marked another milestone for the rehabilitation centre, a flagship initiative of the Angel of Hope Foundation under the patronage of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.
For the centre, the transformation on display was a powerful testimony to what rehabilitation can achieve when young people are given discipline, care, counselling and an opportunity to rediscover themselves. The facility has become more than a place where young people are helped to overcome substance abuse.
It is a place where confidence is rebuilt, discipline restored and hidden talents brought back to life, while rehabilitation is linked to practical skills and livelihoods.
Addressing the graduates and guests, the First Lady, who has made the fight against drug and substance abuse a key part of her humanitarian work, said the youths had undergone a remarkable transformation from the condition in which they arrived at the rehabilitation centre.
“These young people possess unique talents, abilities and life skills which may not have been visible before they became entangled in drug and substance abuse. They have survival skills, capabilities and potential that were obscured by the destructive effects of drugs and substances.
“Today, we are beginning to see those abilities emerge once again. Therefore, I make a clarion call to the public and private sectors, mining houses, manufacturers, farmers, entrepreneurs and construction companies to open your doors to these skills-trained graduates.”
The First Lady urged the graduates to use their second chance to build productive futures and make good use of the skills they will acquire at Dadaya.
Parents and guardians of Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre’s 9th intake follow proceedings during a send-off ceremony to the Vocational Training Centre.
“Go out there and demonstrate that you have learnt. Go out there and show that you have been transformed. Go out there and become ambassadors of a new life one free from drug and substance abuse, one founded on discipline, hard work, responsibility and self-reliance,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa reminded them that rehabilitation was not the end of their journey, but the foundation upon which they must build their future.
The Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Patron paid tribute to parents and guardians who had stood by their children through difficult periods of addiction and rehabilitation, urging them to continue offering support and helping prevent relapse.
For the families, the message carried deep emotional weight.
Drug addiction can strain families, destroy trust and leave parents wondering whether the child they once knew will ever return. For those gathered at Angel of Hope, Tuesday offered a different picture — children who had begun reclaiming their lives.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training deputy director for Harare Province Mr Victor Mazvuma described the send-off as a moment of hope and a transition from healing to rebuilding.
He praised the Angel of Hope Foundation for creating a model that had become an important national intervention in the fight against drug and substance abuse.
“Angel of Hope Foundation remains the country’s biggest rehabilitation centre by all dimensions,” he said.
With the centre accommodating close to 300 youths in an intake, Mr Mazvuma said the initiative had eased the rehabilitation burden not only for Harare Province, but for the country as a whole, as beneficiaries are drawn from all 10 provinces.
He said the move to Dadaya was an important part of the rehabilitation pathway, allowing graduates to acquire vocational skills before returning to their communities.
The revamped curriculum combines Angel of Hope Patron requests job opportunities for skills-trained youths
patriotism, discipline and life skills with technical and vocational training aligned to the aptitude and talents of individual trainees.
He said the First Lady’s donation of more than 300 technical and practical skills programmes to Dadaya Training Centre would further strengthen the initiative.
“This is rehabilitation with purpose, rehabilitation that leads to livelihoods and national development,” he said.
Mr Mazvuma said the graduates’ departure from Angel of Hope should be viewed as a deployment rather than a farewell — a journey to acquire skills, rebuild themselves and ultimately return to rebuild their communities.
Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Deputy Director for Harare Province Victor Mazvuma briefs Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre’s 9th intake on what to expect as they begin vocational training.
“To our graduates, congratulations. You demonstrated courage by taking this first step. You have chosen life over addiction and purpose over despair,” he said.
For 29-year-old Joanne Marimba, the journey to recovery followed six years of drug addiction that had taken a heavy toll on her life.
Together with her family and pastor, she eventually decided that enough was enough, particularly because she wanted to be there for her daughter.
“I was addicted to drugs for six years.
“My family, my pastor and I decided that enough was enough. I needed to look after my daughter, and I decided to come here and be rehabilitated,” she said.
Marimba said the rehabilitation process had been difficult, but she was beginning to appreciate the changes taking place in her life.
“It has been exactly one month since I came here and I can officially say I am now a sober person, although it has been a difficult process,” she said.
She recalled the physical challenges she experienced while battling addiction, including persistent sleepiness, hunger and other discomforts.
Marimba said she initially began taking drugs because of peer pressure before eventually becoming dependent on them.
“I started taking drugs because of peer pressure until I became addicted,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the First Lady and the Angel of Hope Foundation for giving her an opportunity to rebuild her life.
“I want to thank the First Lady for this transformative journey we have walked through.
“During the rehabilitation process, our instructors were hard on us, but they encouraged us to remain resilient,” she said.
For another graduate, Rumbidzai Kufakwedeke, addiction followed the death of her husband four years ago.
“Unfortunately, I got into drugs after the death of my husband. Maybe it was because of the friends who surrounded me, and at that time I did not have the right mindset.
“I eventually became addicted, and that is how I ended up at Angel of Hope,” she said.
Kufakwedeke said the rehabilitation programme gave her the courage to make one of the most important decisions of her life — to completely abandon drugs.
“Being here, I have taken a step of saying no to things that I do not want. The biggest step I have taken is deciding not to take drugs again,” she said.
She said the support she received at Angel of Hope had helped her develop a clearer vision of her future.
“Now I have a clear picture of where I want to go and where I came from. Definitely, I will not go back to drugs.
“I want to at least advise people that if you are in situations just like I was, when I lost my husband.
“When you are in problems, you don’t take drugs to forget your problems because the minute you get sober again, those problems will still be there.
“You would rather talk to someone, seek advice from people that have been in a similar situation to get you out of situations like that,” said Kufakwedeke.
For the ninth intake, the road ahead is now clearer.
From the struggles of addiction to the discipline of rehabilitation, they are moving on to Dadaya with a chance to acquire skills, rebuild their lives and return to their communities with renewed purpose.
What began as a fight to overcome addiction has become a journey towards independence, dignity and hope.
The Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre was opened in July 2025 as part of efforts to move beyond awareness and provide practical intervention in the fight against drug and substance abuse.
Situated in Mbare, an area heavily affected by the drug scourge, the facility provides rehabilitation, counselling, healthcare, education, recreation and skills development in a structured environment.
