Chronicle Editor
Tendai Rupapa
A DOCUMENTARY detailing timely interventions and life transforming activities being done by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa across Zimbabwe through her Angel of Hope Foundation captured the imagination of guests at the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, with dignitaries inspired by her works and expressing willingness to emulate them in their home countries.
Largely singled out for praise were Dr Mnangagwa’s innovation, energy, hard work and non-selective approach.
The event which was held on the sidelines of the session, was running under the theme “Innovation and Technological Change, and Education for Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls.”
It was attended by heads of missions, experts in gender issues and other foreign dignitaries. So captivating and well-packaged was the 10-minute documentary that it elicited positive comments and saw guests applauding Amai Mnangagwa for her hard work, dedication and selflessness.
The documentary was aired during the session. In his opening remarks, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Albert Chimbindi acknowledged Dr Mnangagwa, who was represented at the event by officials from her foundation.
He said he felt honoured and privileged to present the innovative and transformative work that Her Excellency, Dr Mnangagwa, was championing through her foundation in support of the most vulnerable, by providing access to healthcare, social services, education and economic empowerment, with particular emphasis on women, the girl child, the youth and children. Dr Mnangagwa, Ambassador Chimbindi said, embarked on women empowerment initiatives and projects that have restored hope to many marginalised communities, especially women and girls in Zimbabwe, complementing Government efforts towards the attainment of the country’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030.
“As Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Ambassador Dr Mnangagwa, through the Angel of Hope Foundation, is making significant contributions towards bringing health closer to marginalised and vulnerable communities by building solar-powered health facilities, as well as mothers’ waiting shelters which she fully equip.
“Leveraging on innovation and technology, and in line with the 67th session of the CSW “Innovation and Technological Change, and Education in the Digital Age for Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls”, efforts are under way, in collaboration with AOH partners, to introduce telemedicine, including focusing on non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and chronic lung diseases. “The Angel of Hope Foundation mobile clinic, manned by medical experts provide free cancer screening services and other health services, especially to women and girls, across the length and breadth of the country, particularly hard-to-reach areas,” he said.
The Foundation, he said, was economically empowering teen mothers, survivors of early child marriages, and gender-based violence and ladies of the night through imparting entrepreneurial skills and funding self-help projects, so that they can be self-reliant and independent.
“Teen mothers and their children are a high-risk group, both physically and emotionally. The Angel of Hope Foundation is providing psycho-social support and counselling to gender-based violence survivors, teenage mothers and their children, in collaboration with traditional and religious leaders.
“Cognisant that women are the anchor of society, the foundation is encouraging and facilitating women and girls, no matter their age, to go back to school, in order to reach their full potential, including taking leadership positions in society. The Mother of the Nation, through her philanthropic works, offers scholarships to academically gifted, but underprivileged children. French parliamentarian representing Francophonie Africa Mrs Amal Amelia Lakrafi commenting on the philanthropic works of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation after a documentary of her works was played at the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, USA.
“More than 30 000 women have benefited from free short courses including ICT courses provided by the Angel of Hope in partnership with the Zimbabwe Open University. The Angel of Hope Foundation is working towards bridging the digital divide. In that regard, the Foundation, working with its partners in establishing ICT hubs in schools especially in remote areas to expose children to modern ICT based education and empower them with life changing ICT skills,” he said.
Ambassador Chimbindi highlighted the placing of street children into homes where they attend school and are taught life-changing skills so that they develop their talents like any other children as one of the priorities of Angel of Hope Foundation.
“Street children being one of the most vulnerable groups, are targeted by abusers and suffer violence, can get recruited into gangs, are prone to drug addiction, and are susceptible to mental health problems. The Angel of Hope Foundation is playing a critical role in protecting, rehabilitating, and providing access to education and health to the affected youth and children.
“The First Lady has made significant inroads in promoting the consumption of healthy and organic indigenous foods, which have high nutritional and medicinal value, are home grown and adaptable to climate change. Now there is an increased appetite for healthy traditional African cuisine, including in local hotels and restaurants,” he said.
Angel of Hope Foundation, the ambassador said, was contributing to the fight against moral decadence and drug abuse in society, by rehabilitating and equipping the youth, particularly the girl child and other victims with life skills, and promoting positive behavioural change.
“Dr Mnangagwa works with the traditional chiefs and their spouses, and religious leaders in promoting social cohesion and community guidance to end gender-based violence and child abuse. At the continental level, Dr Mnangagwa, who served as Vice-President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), actively participates in the activities of the Organisation, whose objective is to be a united voice for Africa’s most susceptible citizens; women and children living with and affected by HIV and Aids. As an active member of OAFLAD, the First Lady also advocates for policies that make health services accessible, and laws that boost women and youth empowerment at the national level.
“It is our hope that the initiatives of the Angel of Hope Foundation will inspire many people all over the world to empower women and the girl child to enable them to be masters of their own destiny, and to meaningfully contribute towards sustainable development.”
The Angel of Hope Foundation is a non-profit Organisation that is not State-funded and relies on resources from well-wishers to achieve its goals.
Mrs Amal Amelia Lakrafi, a French parliamentarian representing Francophonie Africa said she was charmed by the First Lady’s life-transforming and educative programmes.
“I am so thrilled by the work of the First Lady of Zimbabwe. Her programmes for women and girls are holistic and she will achieve more with her energy and hard work in schools and communities. I am also glad to discover that the First Lady is doing amazing work.
“I was touched seeing her dealing with young children who are involved in drugs and prostitution. Very few people want to address these topics. She is doing very impressive work in schools, health, agriculture and addressing topics that no one wants to address. Her hands-on approach and being with the people, going to them is highly commendable,” she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr Fatime Mahamat Saleh from Chad who described Dr Mnangagwa as a true servant of the people.
“I was very much interested by this event because the initiatives of the First Lady are educative and empowering. Women’s problems are the same everywhere and women are the same therefore, seeing another woman being so hard working and uplifting other women, calls for recognition.
“From what was presented through the documentary, one does not need special eyes to see that the First Lady of Zimbabwe is a hard working woman with people at heart. The same problems affecting women in Zimbabwe are the same problems affecting women in our country. Her healthcare intervention for mothers, for me is an innovative idea which we can follow in our countries. This is the opportunity for women and girls to develop socially.
“Zimbabwe is blessed to have a First Lady of that calibre who has the people at heart and has tailor-made various programmes for their benefit,” she said.
Members of the Zimbabwean delegation also had their say.
Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Senator Monica Mutsvangwa praised Dr Mnangagwa for being exemplary and introducing countless programmes to empower womenfolk.
“Let me say that what is coming out from that video is selfless dedication very full of life to package a Zimbabwean woman, a Zimbabwean woman who is proud of her tradition, a Zimbabwean woman who is able to move out of the usual settings where they have been brought up to make sure that economically they develop.
“The amount of energy which the First Lady exerts is exemplary to the people and women of the country which tells you that no woman should sit back no matter how comfortable her environment may be as a person as you can go out there and also inspire other women. So this has been very good traditionally, it has also made young girls growing up in the rural areas feel that they are not being left behind so this mantra that we shouldn’t leave anybody behind has actually been a reality throughout her work.
We have also seen the work that she has done, the psycho-social support to the girls because we know that girls are very good but you just need to inspire confidence in a girl and I think that is precisely what we see from the work that she is doing. She is not leaving any women and we, as the women of Zimbabwe are learning a lot and are very proud of the work that she is doing,” Sen Mutsvangwa said.
Her Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development counterpart Sithembiso Nyoni said the First Lady had placed women on the pedestal of success across many sectors.
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