Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Senior Reporter
THE Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) has donated a consignment of groceries to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation in support of her philanthropic work aimed at uplifting downtrodden communities across the country.
So passionate is Dr Mnangagwa about improving the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans that she personally mobilises resources for their benefit, with corporate entities and individuals locally, as well as beyond, coming in to assist.
Guided by its mission to improve the quality of life for vulnerable and marginalised communities, the Angel of Hope Foundation supports the elderly, child-headed households, persons with disabilities, widows, teenage mothers, and children who previously lived and worked on the streets, among other groups.
Handing over the donation at the First Lady’s Zimbabwe House offices on Wednesday, CTC chairman Mr Demetri Jimmy Psillos commended the First Lady for restoring hope and offering renewed prospects to vulnerable and marginalised members of society through her Angel of Hope Foundation.
“So, for the Commission, we felt that it was important for us to support her in her mission, and we have given a donation which will help, somehow, in terms of moving the mission forward.
“We wish the First Lady every success in the continuation of the mission of the Angel of Hope. It truly does bring hope to the people,” he said.
CTC director Ms Ellen Ruparanganda also paid glowing tribute to Dr Mnangagwa, applauding her numerous well-conceived initiatives that are transforming lives nationwide.
“You help everyone you can tell by the crowds that we see whenever you visit a place. We will continue supporting you and please keep up the good work,” she said.
The Commission’s public relations manager, Ms Memory Manyau, was also upbeat about Dr Mnangagwa’s good works.
“We really appreciate the philanthropic work you are doing across the country,” she said, evoking one of the most touching cases when the First Lady visited the late cancer victim, 13-year-old brave Adrian Gurumbadza, in Mutare.
Receiving the donation, Dr Mnangagwa expressed her gratitude to the Commission and outlined the mandate of the Angel of Hope Foundation, highlighting various programmes being implemented countrywide to support downtrodden communities.
“Your coming here means so much to me. I want to thank you deeply from my heart, as your donation will help me reach out to assist those in need,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa gave a brief background of her Angel of Hope Foundation works which focuses on improving people’s livelihoods.
The First Lady traverses the whole country to personally assess what is happening on the ground, reaching even the remotest rural and urban areas. What she witnesses during these visits is what drives her work.
Dr Mnangagwa focuses on the family unit, including extended families, bringing them together to resolve whatever differences may exist. She engages the entire family setup to find lasting solutions to issues tearing families apart, noting that when families disintegrate, the social fabric weakens and unity is lost.
As the Health Ambassador, she also raises awareness and advocates for the health of the people in both rural and urban areas, travelling to many communities with her foundation’s mobile clinic to offer health services.
She also donates various items, including medical equipment and consumables, blankets, groceries, among others, sourced from her international and local partners.
Trailblazing Dr Mnangagwa also established the trendsetting Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Harare, a facility that symbolises a shift from awareness to action in the fight against drug and substance abuse.
Many people have since benefited from the centre, which provides a secure environment and a holistic approach that blends social amenities, basic education, medical treatment, counselling-based social support and rigorous physical activity.
Working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Angel of Hope Foundation also assists with the school feeding programme and carries out the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba programme, which aims to raise morally upright and responsible children who will shoulder the country’s future.
Dr Mnangagwa also hosts boys and girls camps, where each group is taken separately to secluded locations and taught critical life skills, including household chores such as cleaning rooms.
The Angel of Hope Foundation also works with the Department of Social Services to assist the downtrodden by providing life-changing projects. In collaboration with city councils, Dr Mnangagwa takes in street children and empowers them at the Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa Children’s Home in Chiredzi. Some beneficiaries have gone on to study in countries such as Russia and Belarus, among others.
The First Lady is also passionate about culture, working to revive knowledge of the country’s traditions among both young and older people. She travels widely promoting the values of ubuntu/hunhu, with a particular focus on the youth. Dr Mnangagwa also assists schoolgirls by teaching them how to make reusable sanitary pads.
The First Lady, who has a passion for community empowerment, also ensures people acquire important life skills to sustain themselves and their families, noting that these skills require an educational foundation.
