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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has carried her spirit of spreading love to the needy and vulnerable into the New Year, this time giving the elderly in Norton, Mashonaland West Province, a share of her warmth.
She distributed groceries, cleaned homes, did laundry and prepared meals for the elderly which she shared with them, showing her humility.
The household chores which she performed together with women from various churches, chiefs’ wives and local leaders were punctuated by sharing of jokes and ideas on how to keep the extended family unit intact.
The First Lady said the collapse of the extended family unit led to the emergence of various social ills like neglect of the poor and the elderly.
The First Lady prepared the food on fire and served it.
To show her accommodative nature and motherliness, Amai Mnangagwa, whose programmes are non-partisan, performed the chores together with political leaders from various parties.
She told the gathering that she was sowing the seed of love, unity, caring for one another, assisting the needy and promoting hygienic living.
Amai Mnangagwa and her team cleaned several houses, including that of Gogo Agnes Amos (80).
“I never thought I would have such a visitor in my house as poor as I am.
“She has great love for the people and may she never tire of spreading love to the people. She has done something I least expected,” she said.
The same duties were also performed at widower Sekuru Davison Mushayabasa’s house.
Sadly, one of the would-be beneficiaries, Gogo Dorothy Musakanene, succumbed to diabetes early yesterday morning, and the First Lady visited the bereaved family to pay her condolences.
After performing the household chores, the First Lady later addressed a gathering at Dudley Hall, where she donated new born baby kits to expecting mothers.
“To those who read the Bible, cleanliness draws us closer to God,” the First Lady said.
“Last Friday we were in Mazowe, where we cleaned the highway leading to Bindura in fulfilment of President Mnangagwa’s proclamation that the first Friday of every month be dedicated to cleaning the environment.
“It is my plea that the quest for cleanliness should not begin and end on the first Friday of every month.
“We have come here to carry forward our business of cleaning the environment and reinvigorating the extended family unit.”
The First Lady stressed that helping the needy should start at family level to open floodgates of well-wishers to follow suit.
“This will help our neighbours to come and help us. Love must begin in the family, and we must never fail to assist one another.”
The First Lady challenged Mashonaland West leaders to carry forward the work she started.
She urged newly married women to learn the essence of cleanliness and told chiefs’ wives that they had a role to assess the living conditions of the elderly in the communities in which they lived and foster cleanliness.
“Did you know that you are the peer leaders who should help the elderly and the needy in your communities?” she said.
“You should form clubs and take time to engage the wives of headmen and teach each other.
“This will let everyone know how to preserve our cultural norms and way of life.”
She implored headmen’s wives to go around the communities teaching other women how to treat the elderly.
“You should teach the newly-married women on what is expected of them in the families in which they are married. It is, therefore, your duty as the spouses of chiefs and headmen, together with churches to teach.
“Churches should go into the communities giving to the needy.
“When I say the needy, I include those without knowledge of the word of God.
“Apart from giving people food, you should also go about preaching the word of God to make people know God and promote peace,” she said.
Chief Chivero and Mr Brown Shopo showered the First Lady with praises, saying her initiatives were building communities.
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka expressed gratitude to the First Lady for what she did.
Norton legislator Mr Temba Mliswa praised Amai Mnangagwa for her non-partisan approach.
“She is for development and empowerment of communities. She is a true mother of the nation who loves all her children despite political affiliation. I am an independent candidate, but today she is here with us, she does not select people. She is teaching us the importance of love and unity, and we all should emulate her for the development of our country,” he said.
He further said it was encouraging to see the First Lady leaving aside politics when handling issues of charity and development.
“In all her programmes countrywide, no politics is involved. This is what unites the nation, and as the mother of the nation, she is indeed uniting people. I want to commend Amai for her non-partisan approach and may that spirit descend on every citizen so that we are united as one,” he said.
Some individuals paid tribute to the charity work being done by Amai Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation and donated 10 heifers, three pigs and 50 road-runner chickens to enhance her initiatives in communities.
Chegutu Rural District Council gave her 20 hectares of land to build a clinic through her foundation and promised another piece of land to build a school.
The First Lady recently visited Midlands and Mashonaland Central provinces with the same programme, which will cascade to all provinces.
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