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Tendai Rupapa in KANYEMBA
FIRST LADY Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa on Thursday continued with her efforts to steer the previously marginalised people of Kanyemba towards self-sufficiency by encouraging them to do income-generating projects and be able to send their children to school.
Since assuming office, the First Lady has been working closely with the community to improve its access to shelter, health and food.
Kanyemba, a remote border town in Mbire District on the Zambezi River where Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique meet, is in natural region 5 which is associated with extremely hot weather and poor rainfall.
The mother of the nation spent a week in Mbire District and visited Chidodo, Chikafa and Kanyemba communities which have many hard to reach areas in an unparalleled show of love that has never been exhibited by a First Lady since the country’s independence in 1980.
In all the areas she visited, chiefs from neighbouring countries —Zambia and Mozambique — and their subjects came along and their presence showed the respect Amai Mnangagwa has earned across the border through her hard work, selflessness and unconditional love.
In an interactive session with the Kanyemba community, the First Lady — who has a passion for the empowerment of the less-privileged — inclined an ear to the challenges they face and proffered tangible solutions.
The discussion touched on a number of issues, including family set-up, health, morality, empowerment, Covid-19 and vaccination.
“I have come so that we meet again and discuss regarding life, our way of living and the way our children are behaving,” said the First Lady. “I will never abandon you Kanyemba as we have come together from afar. We shall continue walking together until I am satisfied that you are at par with other areas that I visit.”
On Covid-19, she asked her audience what it understood about the pandemic.
In response, Gumburai Jonasi said: “We heard that it is a deadly disease no one should play with.”
The First Lady then said: “True, the disease is killing people not only in Zimbabwe, but worldwide. How do we protect ourselves?”
The people highlighted the World Health Organisation protocols of masking up, sanitising and maintaining social distance.
The First Lady urged members of the community to always put on their masks and asked what diseases were there before the advent of Covid-19.
The community mentioned cancer, HIV, diabetes and hypertension and she implored them to keep taking their medication.
“Never stop taking your medication and keep heeding instructions from doctors,” she said.
She asked if the people were vaccinated and almost everyone raised their hands and she praised them.
“Let us embrace vaccination,” said the First Lady. “It lowers the potency of the pandemic. It is not Zimbabwe alone which is getting vaccinated, but the whole world.”
As the environment patron, the First Lady decried the wanton cutting down of trees and widespread veld fires.
“On my way here I saw depleted forests, you are cutting down trees, burning forests and what about other creatures, our wildlife, our livestock are being burnt there,” she said. “Even those sleeping in homes are being caught in the cross fire. The seasons are changing, there is climate change and lets stop burning the forests because we need windbreak.
“When I came in the past, we discussed many issues, with women accusing their husbands of spending time at bars while women worked for the family. I implored both men and women to work together in sustaining the family with the mother being a helper. Did that change or it’s still the same?
“On children, when I came I heard cases of marrying off young girls and reports of drug and alcohol abuse among children. Children are being paralysed by drugs. Girls are rushing into sexual relationships and falling pregnant. At our homes, mothers and daughters are now behaving the same, with the child becoming stubborn, did that change?
“Family set-up, let us talk about the qualities of a good husband and a good wife.” In response, Mrs Catherine Kaputi said: “A good wife helps her husband in looking after the family and also uses her hands through gardening.” Mrs Kapeta Chiamo had her own views.
“A mother does not select her children and does not accept gifts brought by her daughter without knowing the source. She is also not promiscuous and stick to her husband,” she said.
In response the First Lady said: “I have seen that women are speaking while also teaching others to be content about their own homes, selves and the husbands you were given by God.”
Sekuru Misheck Mukaneta said men in his area were sick and tired of being harassed by their wives.
“As men we are troubled by our wives who nag us and are harassing us. We are scolded and Amai you did well by visiting us, please talk to them and teach them good manners,” he said.
In response, the First Lady sought from women to know whether or not the claim was true.
Mrs Idanai Tiamo blamed such behaviour on women who were not content with their husbands.
“This is being done by women who are not content with their husbands. There are some grandmothers who cheat,” she said. Astounded, the First Lady said: “Now if grandmothers behave this way, who will teach the youngsters?”
Mrs Tiipe Nyakutepa said: “True, we are scolding each other with men in the house because they are lazy. As women we are working alone to feed the families. I wake up early to order and sell wares, but when I come back he threatens to bash me asking where I was yet I will be working. If I bring back some money he takes it all to the bar. They do not want to work.”
The First Lady urged couples to work together in sustaining families and be able to send their children to school.
Mr Maglovhosi Siyamo said some women were not satisfied with the assistance given by their husbands in looking after the family.
“These women are scolding us but when you last came here Amai, you taught us a lot and encouraged us to do projects. We started getting something to do. The problem is our wives who expect us to carry dishes of vegetables on our heads for sale at marketplaces in Zambia or Mozambique. That is not possible,” he said.
Amai Mnangagwa counselled women against ridiculing their husbands saying this led to domestic violence.
She called for amicable resolution of disputes and said children also must respect parents.
She educated them on women’s and youths banks and urged them to utilise them.
“If you take a loan from these banks, please do tangible projects so that you are able to pay back,” she said.
She advised the community to form groups so that they get further information on how to access the loans.
Youths said they were willing to start projects like carpentry, welding, goat rearing and detergent making.
Amai Mnangagwa also touched on the issue of courtship where she asked what boys looked for in a girl and vice versa.
The boys and girls gave different exciting responses and she urged them not to rush into love relationships.
To encourage girls to focus on their studies, she told them about female pilot Air Lieutenant Gamuchirai Mbigi who came out tops in her training and received a sword of Honour from the Air Force of Zimbabwe for excellence.
“My children, strive to do well and make your families proud,” said the First Lady. “This girl (Gamuchirai) concentrated and completed her education.”
Youthful Ms Claris Charumari was thankful to the First Lady for her show of love.
“We thank you whole-heartedly for your love towards Kanyemba community,” she said. “From when you started with us you are still with us to this day. Here in Kanyemba we were used to begging but your teachings have opened our eyes and we see the importance of working hard using our hands.
“We can’t wait to start projects and we will not embarrass you. We will actually invite you to see what we would have started. God bless you Amai.”
Mrs Naume Nhume said she was truly thankful for the assistance accorded by the First Lady to her community since she assumed office.
“I thank Amai Mnangagwa from the start to the present day because she uplifted our lives,” she said with happiness. “We were backward, but now we are presentable all because of her. We thank her for the projects she previously introduced which are enabling us to send our children to school.
“There is no other mother who remembered us other than her. I thank her for the love she showed for our lives and she is the mother we know. We love her.”
Chief Luciano Kalamenti Malunga, who is Chief Mhpuka of Zambia said he was grateful to be part of the proceedings.
“We are one family with the people in Kanyemba,” he said. “We are brothers, just that we are divided by the border. If there is an occasion they invite us, also if we have, we also invite them.
“Thank you Amai for welcoming us, I did not know that I would be respected enough to sit next to you. We want to thank you, Amai, the First Lady for the work you are doing in this community and the country at large because the success of this community is ours too.”
The community was accorded free health checks for various ailments as the First Lady leads from the front in ensuring people are screened early for non-communicable diseases.
She also gave the families maize-meal, sugar, rice, cooking oil, toiletries, adult clothes, new born baby kits and stationery.
There were also rehabilitation equipment which she handed over to local clinics.
Online Reporter