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Tendai Rupapa in MARONDERA
WILD celebrations engulfed Marondera Female Open Prison yesterday when 46 people, comprised of 30 inmates and 16 prison officers, graduated after completing their studies under the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation’s programme of empowering communities through open learning.
The graduation coincided with the launch of the program for the rest of the people in Mashonaland East Province who intend to further their studies.
Several people drawn from all the districts in the province registered for the short courses and thanked the First Lady for the rare and exciting opportunity.
The mother of the nation is not selective in her programmes that are tailored to empower and ease the plight of the down-trodden thus enhancing their capacity to fend for themselves.
So electric was the atmosphere that the graduates could be seen singing, dancing and ululating as they paid tribute to Amai Mnangagwa for the unprecedented empowerment initiative which showed her resolve to uplift all citizens without looking at one’s background or circumstances.
The graduates included popular Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services preacher, Chaplin Christine Phiri, who studied Sign Language and Disability Awareness.
She is the former resident Chaplin for the Open Prison and is now the ZPCS national coordinator for gender services.
Twelve inmates studied Agriculture alongside one prison officer, four inmates studied Counselling alongside one prison officer, while eight inmates studied Early Childhood Development (ECD) with two officers.
Four other inmates studied Nurse Aid and Palliative Care for the Elderly with four prison officers.
Sign Language and disability awareness was done by two inmates and eight prison officers.
So elated were the inmates that they sang praises to the First Lady for giving them a second chance despite their current station in life.
One of the beneficiaries, Thandiwe Dube (47), who is doing time for fraud said: “I want to thank the First Lady for the programme she initiated for us here at the female open prison. The aim of the female open prison is to rehabilitate and empower us so that when we come out there will be no challenges. Amai has given us dignity and she has amazing love.
“I took up an option to study Early Childhood Development where we learnt the background and history of ECD, the curriculum of ECD and how you register an ECD facility and the diet and nutrition of ECD learners to name but a few modules that we studied.
“After completing my sentence, I want to go and start my own ECD centre because I have been empowered. I will go out with something tangible. I also want to thank ZOU for spending time teaching us.”
Concilia Chabvuta, who was convicted of selling drugs, was grateful to the First Lady for her love.
“I used to sell drugs,” she said. “I thank Amai for her programme of an open prison where we can go to school and learn a lot of things through skills learning. I learnt counselling and I now know that I must first forgive myself before forgiving others.
“When I complete my sentence, I will be capable of staying well with others in the society and I will use my certificate to find a job. I used to look down on myself and viewed myself as useless but our mother has abundant love for everyone. She is also forgiving and shows one the correct path to follow. Today I celebrate my graduation.
“My word of advice to those out there selling drugs is that they should stop it forthwith.
“I now say drugs are bad because I now know the challenges they bring and what happens when someone uses drugs. A person may commit crimes while under the influence of drugs.
“When I was still doing this I did not understand, but now that I came here for rehabilitation I understand that drugs can force someone to rape even their mother, child or do some morally reprehensible things. I thank Amai for showing us the right path and she is also saying down with drugs.”
Chipo Sakala, who was jailed for stealing from her employer, was excited about her achievement.
“I thank Amai, the First Lady for the home she built for us and for initiating an open prison for women. I never thought as a prisoner I would graduate but our mother has made it possible. I studied agriculture and this is what will give me where to start from when I complete my sentence,” she said.
Chaplin Phiri said she was happy to have acquired a new skill.
“I want to thank our mother, the First Lady, for this program that she brought us. I studied sign language,” she said. “We have prisoners who come using sign language, we disadvantage them because we could not speak to them.
“I am now able to communicate with them following this course that I studied. I am now able to interpret what they will be saying in all the offices they will pass through. With this certificate, I am now a different preacher because I can now preach in sign language and this will help the people who are living with impairments. Thank you Amai for your love, we are grateful as your children.”
In her remarks, the First Lady, who is also the patron of the Female Prison Foundation Trust, outlined the history of the prison which is ranked as the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, in the Sadc region and in Africa as a whole.
“In 2021, the female open prison had special mentioning by ZOU in its first correspondence that sought partnership with Angel of Hope Foundation,” she said. “Thus as patron for the Female Open Prison Foundation Trust, in November I humbly requested ZOU to facilitate the life-changing short courses which were undertaken in February this year which then worked as a precursor to this unique partnership’s seventh launch here in Mashonaland East Province.
“The first launch was on 13 September 2021 for Epworth Community in Harare Metropolitan province.”
ZOU, the First Lady said, has so far registered 8 021 Angel of Hope Foundation beneficiaries for the life-changing short courses which are meant to transform the lives of individuals, communities and the nation as it advances towards Vision 2030 poised to leave no place and no one behind.
“Today is an exceptional day, particularly for the women and girls in Mashonaland East province because of the three-fold celebrations that underpin this day,” she said. “Firstly, in Mashonaland East Province today Marondera Female Open Prison is the befitting venue for the launch of Angel of Hope Foundation in partnership with the Zimbabwe Open University for community empowerment through open learning.
“Secondly, what is more exciting about this launch is that 46 beneficiaries of the Angel of Hope Foundation are going to be recipients of Zimbabwe Open University life-changing short courses certificates.”
The First Lady said as patron of the prison, she was delighted to witness and officiate the certification of female inmates who despite their incarceration, embarked on the rehabilitation and reintegration into society by undertaking ZOU’s courses together with prison officers.
“Thank you Zimbabwe Open University for doing a splendid job which shows commitment to the national vision of women empowerment despite their circumstances,” she said.
“Thirdly, internationally, the month of March has been set aside to celebrate all women and the United Nations theme for this year is gender equality today is for a sustainable tomorrow.”
The First Lady said the partnership between ZOU and Angel of Hope Foundation never imagined opportunities for disadvantaged members of communities to access free university education tailor-made to suit their special needs.
“The openness speaks to how the registration for ZOU life-changing short courses is not limited by qualifications, age, gender, race, religion, language, location or political affiliation as beneficiaries of the program are simply identified as members of Zimbabwean communities,” she said.
“Amai vanoda vana vavo vose. Vakuru vakati chenga ose manhanga hapana risina mhodzi. No one is to be left behind. Today, all you need to do is to choose an appropriate short course or courses and register as an Angel of Hope Foundation beneficiary with ZOU,” she said.
ZOU Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Gundani said the launch of the program in Mashonaland East goes down in history as a memorable day because of the venue.
“The Marondera Female Open Prison is an embodiment of women and girls’ empowerment initiatives being undertaken by the First Lady throughout Zimbabwe through her organisation Angel of Hope Foundation,” he said.
Prof Gundani praised the first Lady for breaking caring records for the downtrodden and pledged the university’s commitment to what it promised in its first correspondence in August 2021.
Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Aplonia Munzverengwi, showered the First Lady with praises for working closely with her province and for her programmes that benefit the nation.
“Amai, we feel favoured as a province when we take stock of the many empowerment initiatives you have brought and continue to bring to our beloved province,” she said. “You have been to this province with projects and programmes that benefit everyone without being selective. I encourage today’s graduates to utilise their certificates. Thank you Amai for your love.”
Online Reporter