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Tendai Rupapa in MT DARWIN
MT DARWIN, the venue of this year’s national Independence Day celebrations, enjoyed a children’s party with a difference, thanks to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who held a special Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session as part of her drive to mould well-mannered children who are respectful, dress appropriately and do not take drugs.
The Children’s Party is an annual event hosted by the First Family a day before Independence.
The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Zimbabwe at 43: Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo/Brick upon brick”.
The Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session was for children in Grade One up to Grade Four, as the First Lady wanted to “catch them young”.
The First Lady and elderly women from the community taught the girls in the Nhanga while elderly men from the community taught the boys in the Gota.
Before the educative session, Amai Mnangagwa
was on open fires teaching the girls how to dress and cook road runner chickens while boys were taught to slaughter a goat, skin it and prepare the meat for cooking.
Boys being taught traditional values and culture during a Gota programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Mt Darwin yesterday
After the session, she also prepared lunch for the children that included rice, sadza, beef, beans, dried vegetables and served them before they joined others in the main programme where together with everyone else also received hampers full of goodies from the mother of the nation.
“Vanambuya, I have come so that we sit down and teach the children good manners. We want them to go back home and train others who did not make it here. I humbly asked the elderly in the communities to visit schools and train the children. I have already approached the relevant ministry and are working on it so that the elderly are allowed to hold the sessions with school children. You children, you must feel free to ask questions and I want you to leave this place knowing a lot of life lessons,” she said before giving the floor to the grandmothers.
Gogo Mildred Sangana said children must dress appropriately at all times.
“The way you dress these days is inappropriate. You wear ripped jeans and miniskirts that expose your bodies. If you buy the children uniforms that cover the knees, they cut them and make them short, why do you do that,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa weighed in asking the children the kind of clothes they wore.
“You heard what your gogo said, what kind of clothes are you wearing?” she asked.
Some said long dresses while others said their parents buy them skinny jeans and skin tights or torn jeans.
Amai Mnangagwa advised the children to dress properly at all times and encouraged parents to buy dignified clothes for their children.
Boys being taught how to prepare a goat for a traditional meal during a Gota programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Mt Darwin yesterday
Gogo Abgail Fata expressed gratitude to the First Lady for the educative programme.
“We are happy with the programme you have brought Amai because when you were teaching them to cook chicken, we discovered that these children could not even dress a chicken. You are teaching these children important things and we are grateful. We have seen that as mothers we are not teaching our children household chores,” she said.
The First Lady asked the children the chores they performed before leaving home. A young girl said: “Today I just bathed, drank tea and left home. There is no work I did at all.”
“Even the cup and plate you used, you did not clean it,” the First Lady said.
“I didn’t, my mum does the dishes at home,” the child said.
Others told Amai Mnangagwa that they always help their parents with household chores.
The First Lady taught the children the importance of performing household chores and commended those who assist their parents around the home. She asked the children whether they can make tea or cook sadza and received a lot of responses from the children with some saying they did not know how to cook while others knew how to cook.
Gogo Progress Sande spoke against drug and substance abuse.
“A cultured child should not take drugs because they destroy life yet as your mothers and grandmothers we are looking up to you so that you look after us in future. You are the future but can your future be bright if you bunk school and rush to take drugs,” she said.
“I am happy for the age groups you selected Amai because at home we mainly rush to older children leaving this age group yet that is where the naughtiness begins. A child in Grade Six nowadays is engaging in sexual activities. Thank you Amai. My daughters listen to the teachings Amai brought for you and treasure your bodies,” she said.
Girls raise hands to contribute their views and answers during an interactive Nhanga programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Mt Darwin yesterday
The First Lady asked the children if they knew they were precious and had body parts that should not be played with by boys.
The children concurred that they should not be touched by people of the opposite sex including relatives
before they all burst into song “Don’t touch, apa pangu, dont touch.”
Dr Mnangagwa went on to teach the children on the dangers of playing with boys.
She urged them to report cases of sexual abuse and to speak out against all forms of abuse.
“What do you want to do when you grow up?” she asked the children and they said they aspired to be lawyers, soldiers, police officers, agronomists, nurses, doctors, pilots and air hostesses.
One of them drew laughter when she said she wanted to be a President.
“All these things you have said can only be achieved if you value education and work hard. I do not want to hear that you have boyfriends at this tender ages. Is there anyone with a boyfriend among you?” she asked.
Some girls said they had male best friends and she taught them against this.
President Mnangagwa, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and his wife Mrs Miniyothabo Baloyi-Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi and other dignitaries watch a girl imitating Leonard Zhakata’s dance moves during a Children’s party in Mt Darwin yesterday.— Pictures: John Manzongo
One of the children, Tinevimbo Mumvuri thanked the First Lady for her valuable programme which had taught her something beneficial.
“We learnt a lot from your visit Mhamha. I didn’t know how to slaughter a chicken and cook it but today I leave this place knowing something important. At home I didn’t do any work and thought my mother and the house help were supposed to do the work, but from today I am going to do household chores,” she said.
In the Gota boys were taught many life lessons.
“We had a wonderful time teaching the boys who showed they did not know most of the things that are expected of them. We told the children to respect elders and concentrate on their studies for them to lead a brighter future. We also taught them against rushing into sexual activities and the need to dress properly. Amai’s programme is so educative and we thank her for bringing back nhanga/gota/ixhiba which had been forgotten,” said Sekuru Ishmael Mheta who was among the elders teaching the boys.
Tinofara Bokosha thanked the First Lady for the teachings.
“I am grateful to the First Lady for her teachings. Today we learnt things that we did not know at all. We were also advised to assist our parents at home by watering the vegetables and fetching firewood. We were also told to respect elders and concentrate on our studies,” he said with a broad smile.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa shares a lighter moment with a girl who said she wants to be a soldier when she grows up as the mother of the nation was serving food to the children after a Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba programme in Mt Darwin yesterday
The First Lady gave insights about her educational programme with which she has covered the whole country.
“Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba sessions are important for all children as they grow up. It has long been there in our culture from our forefathers. The Nhanga is where the girls are taught valuable lessons on how to care for themselves, valuing education so that they improve their families and the nation. The same applies to boys in the gota. The girl does not start sweeping the house at between 18 and 20 years; they have to start young knowing the chores they should perform around the home. Today I said I wanted children from Grade One to Four whom I taught a lot of things, among them the importance of performing chores at home.
“This is what they should know at their age. I have covered the whole country with this programme. In some areas people want me to repeat and I am encouraging people in the areas I have visited to form groups and start teaching the children from where I left. I am also encouraging spouses of chiefs to conduct the sessions at least twice a month in their communities. The programme we have today of the children’s party held a day before our independence celebrations is important as we attach value to gallant fighters who fought for our independence. The children must know the country’s history,” she said.
Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Monica Mavhunga, said the children were lucky to have learnt from the best.
“Today you were blessed with the visit by Amai to teach you. She has come to talk to you before you do mischief because she wants you to grow up well. We thank you for the educative programme Amai,” she said.
President Mnangagwa and First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa share a lighter moment during performances by children from various Provinces during a Children’s party in Mt Darwin yesterday
Amai Mnangagwa later addressed all the children collectively during the main programme hammering on the need for them to value education, respect elders and not to take drugs.
“I am very impressed with what I have seen here, when I was handing you hampers vanangu ndafara ndichiona vasikana vachityora muzura, vakomana bowing their heads in respect. Through the teachings that I give throughout the country, my children have learnt and captured the lessons. You are good children who listen. As a mother I feel proud of you because of your respect. I would have been embarrassed if you had not shown respect that all that I am doing is going to waste. Remain like that my children.
“We are looking forward to you, that you are going to look after us, your families, communities and also the country at large. Hunhu/Ubuntu is very important. I have heard the President saying there are some Presidential scholarships. They just do not come but they look at who is receiving that. When you go to those countries how are you going to portray our country? We do not want to be embarrassed by you. That is why I am going around and everybody else encourages you as children to behave and don’t forget who you are. You are an African, a Zimbabwean and you should carry Ubuntu/Hunhu.
“Girls, drinking beer, is it peer pressure? You are the most vulnerable compared to boys. You lose a lot. When you fall pregnant you drop out of school but the boy will continue with his education. Don’t forget that the same boy has other girlfriends at school, so you have to focus on your education. I believe you girls are going to behave and remain with that good behavior. Boys you are taking intoxicating substances a lot and you put on five or six trousers kuita moving wardrobe chaiyo. We do not know why you do that. Maybe you will be running away from the police and quickly take off one trousers so that you look different. I heard the Bishop here saying Jesus said let the young come to me. Are you the young ones when you are playing cat and mouse running with your badness so that it is not corrected? You are now my ambassadors and I encourage you to teach others who could not make it here and may God bless you,” she said to applause.
Online Reporter