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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
At an occasion that mirrored the strong bond between a mother and her children, renowned philanthropist and empowerment advocate, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday spent time cooking for over 300 children living and working on the streets at her newly launched Life Skills Development Centre in Mbare, Harare which she set up for them so they stay off the streets.
During the interaction, she emphasised the need for the children to earn a dignified living and quit vices like drug abuse and prostitution which had seen a number of girls falling pregnant prematurely.
The First Lady is also the country’s health and child care ambassador who has a passion for the welfare of women, children, the elderly and the disabled, among many other disadvantaged groups.
The centre also affords beneficiaries the opportunity to bath and change clothes as they undertake their various projects that include farming and gardening while staying there.
Amai Mnangagwa provides toiletries for them.
The First Lady was joined by women from the community in preparing the sumptuous, healthy and nutritious dishes comprising chicken roast, beef stew, sugar beans, rice, sadza and dried vegetables in peanut butter.
Fresh vegetables that formed part of the meals were grown in a garden which is being watered by the children who planted them together with the First Lady on the day the centre was officially opened three months ago.
After eating, the children were taught good manners by the First Lady and they cleaned their plates and pots, a sign that they had listened to the teachings.
Women from Mbare Community assist First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in feeding street children at the skills development centre she set up in Mbare
Amai Mnangagwa identified the place which she has refurbished through working with the city council and relevant Government departments.
This is not the first time the First Lady has launched a project directly for children living on the streets and drug addicts.
A few years ago, she rounded up some street children and committed them to Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa Children’s Home in Chiredzi, where they are pursuing academic studies and being equipped with vocational training skills.
They have since quit drugs and are living comfortably at the home with their foster mothers while going to school.
Some are in boarding schools.
At the centre, a nutritional garden and orchard with drip irrigation, a solar-powered borehole with 20 000-litre tanks and taps were set up.
The complex is the skills development centre for Harare Metropolitan province, where children from the streets, drug addicts and those around the community are receiving training in various projects, including agriculture.
More projects like carpentry, dressmaking, poultry and sporting activities will be introduced soon while the children will also enrol for short courses at the centre.
Amai Mnangagwa launched a feeding scheme whereby the beneficiaries will have healthy meals everyday as they do their projects.
She also gave them clothes.
Children living and working on the streets partake in a meal which was prepared for them by Angel of Hope Foundation patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa at the skills development centre she set up for them in Mbare yesterday
In her remarks, the First Lady said issues pertaining to the moulding and raising of children did not have anything to do with politics.
She said it was everyone’s responsibility to see to it that these children are well looked after.
“I have come to share the history of how I started this programme in conjunction with various other departments like the city council because of my zeal to transform the lives of these children. I identified this place but it was dilapidated so we worked hard to refurbish it.
“We do not know where these children came from neither do we know their parents nor their places of birth. However, they are our collectively responsibility now. In programmes like these there is no politics as we are there to put our heads together with the aim of assisting these children.
“Some of them are now living here to safeguard their projects. The vegetables we prepared today, we grew them here,” she said to applause.
“Some among these children are pregnant as they take each other in the streets and one gave birth at this place last month. Those being born need a place to stay and therefore we have work to do.
“We shall have school lessons here where I will be introducing courses. I do not want to hear anyone calling them derogatory names like ‘zvigunduru’. Those I took to Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa Children’s Home are doing exceptionally well in school where others are now prefects. Some passed their Ordinary Level and Advanced Level with flying colours,” the First Lady said.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is greeted by Harare Mayor Clr Jacob Mafume during her interaction with children living and working on the streets at the skills development centre she set up for them in Mbare yesterday
Dr Mnangagwa implored Zimbabweans to abstain from calling the children derogative names, but instead play a part in assisting them to become better citizens.
“The children here need love from us, they need our love and support. I want you children to choose what you are capable of doing and focus on that project that we are doing here and I will bring more projects. I want you to quit drugs. Please do not sell the clothes that I have brought you. I say no to those who return to be streets and under bridges. No to mutoriro. I want you to make money, but not through begging and stealing. I want you to succeed in life my children,” she said with a broad smile.
Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution Charles Tavengwa thanked the First Lady for her philanthropic work which has captured the imagination of the world.
“We thank you Amai, our First Lady for the great work that you are doing here. We thank you Amai for your commitment and dedication to disadvantaged people in our society which will create a conducive and inclusive environment for these disadvantaged people to coexist with others,” he said.
Part of the crowd that joined First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in her interaction with children living and working on the streets at the skills development centre she set up for them in Mbare yesterday
Equipping vulnerable groups with life skills, Minister Tawengwa said, had a positive impact in the development of the country.
“Your Excellency, let me hasten to mention that equipping this vulnerable group with life skills is a noble idea in our quest as government to leave no one and no place behind as explored in the developmental matrix in the national development strategy 1 as we embrace the mantra of leaving no one and no place behind its noble to target this disadvantaged group of people who have been left to roam on the streets thus the mantra is critical as it addresses this. Your excellency with this event I want to urge you not to grow weary and to bring good, especially your philanthropic works which are known not only in Zimbabwe but throughout the world, that is the world at large,” he said.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume echoed similar sentiments and praised the mother of the nation for her comprehensive and inclusive social interventions.
“First Lady, Amai, I thank you heartily for this programme where you have invited us. As Harare, our workers, our councillors we have travelled this journey with you for a long time now. We started at orphanages in Chiredzi where we built houses for the children and backed the programme as mayors.
“Looking after children is apolitical and does not matter where you are coming from or going because the children are ours and we must look after them.
“The way Amai came about with this programme is an act of God. That is working together and showing that if we put our heads together we come up with constructive things.
“I was gratified to hear that some of the children are now prefects while some are now in boarding schools and soon they will be at universities. That is a good thing and we will look back and say that in such a year we were able to assist children and they were able to work and look after themselves. Allow me to thank the First Lady for this programme on children living in the streets. We also thank those that she worked with,” the mayor said.
Angel of Hope Foundation patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and children living and working on the streets pluck vegetables for cooking from a garden she initiated for them at the skills development centre in Mbare yesterday. – Pictures: John Manzongo
Mr Chari a social welfare officer praised the First Lady for her well-meaning programmes.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare we are very happy with the initiative that was started by our mother. As the ministry we are the primary beneficiaries because our children are benefiting from all the programmes that are being implemented by the first lady. This is not the first initiative our mother has undertaken. She has an institution we call a residential childcare facility that she set up in Chiredzi called Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa Children’s Home where we took children who were living and working on the streets around the country and commit them there.
“Let me say that those children are benefitting immensely. As I speak some of the children are now in boarding schools, thanks to the wonderful work that the First Lady is doing.
Even the children who are coming from the streets, come here to bath, eat, dress well and do their projects. We are working well with the First Lady who is doing sterling work and we hope our streets will in the short space of time have very few people roaming about the streets. We thank you for the work you are doing that is helping our children,” he said.
Angel of Hope Foundation staff and Mbare community members assist First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in cooking meals for children living and working on the streets in Mbare yesterday
Harare City Council housing director Dr Admore Nhekairo highlighted the city’s commitment to work closely with the First Lady.
“When we started here, I remarked that standards had fallen but she has made sure there is clean water, functional toilets and kitchens that allow us to help the children who are in the streets. As council I promise you Amai that ticharamba takagwinya tichishanda nemi for we are thankful for your help and promise you that as council we have firmed in your programme.
“We are not just focusing on children in the city centre streets. As council, we have branches in the townships and we will be sending for all children in need of help. We want to thank you again for the programme that you started and we as council will ensure it goes forward,” Dr Nhekairo said.
Provincial education director, Mr Joram Mupunza, told the children that they had unlimited opportunities to pursue their academic studies if they so wished.
“As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education our job is to accord children education of the highest level which allows them to find something to do in life and live well. To you children who are here who work in the streets, I want to inform you that in our ministry you have the opportunity to learn. To do primary education you need three years.
“There is the first level of Grade One and Two that you complete in one year. There is the second level of Grades Three and Four which you also do in a year. You also do Grades 6 and 7 in one year and you sit your Grade Seven examinations. How about that? If you yearn for secondary education it is the same. Form one and two, one year, three and four another year and five and six another one year.
“If enrolling for classes is difficult, we have distance learning where we send you notes and monitor you as groups. Lastly, I want to let you know that all our secondary schools offer vocational training courses and you get Hexco certification. We want to thank Amai for the job well done,” he said.
Angel of Hope Foundation patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over meals she personally prepared to children living and working on the streets at the skills development centre she set up for them in Mbare
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa also attended the event which attracted thousands of people.
Children living and working on the streets wash plates after a meal prepared by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa at the skills development centre in Mbare yesterday
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