Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Senior Reporter
SIX years ago, Joshua Emmanuel was living a harsh street life in Harare, scavenging for food, sleeping wherever he could find shelter and going for days without a proper bath.
He had no bed to call his own, no certainty of his next meal and little hope of escaping the life of harassment, petty theft and survival on the streets.
Today, the 20-year-old is aboard a plane bound for India, where he will pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree a remarkable transformation from the harsh realities of street life to a future he once could hardly have imagined.
At the centre of that transformation is an “Angel of Hope”, the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, whose humanitarian work has quietly changed the lives of vulnerable children, one child at a time.
Joshua is one of those lives.
His story offers a deeply human glimpse into the compassionate face of the First Lady’s work through the Angel of Hope Foundation, where vulnerable children are given not only material support, but also care, guidance, education and an opportunity to rediscover their worth.
For Joshua, that intervention came at a time when his life could easily have taken a very different direction.
From scavenging for food and surviving on the streets, he has now reached a point where he is preparing to board a plane for India to pursue his dreams.
It is the kind of transformation that, according to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, shows what can happen when society chooses to see potential where others may see only vulnerability.
Before his departure on Tuesday, Joshua was given a joyous and memorable farewell at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, with the Harare City Council band providing a lively performance that drew applause and added pomp and excitement to the emotional send-off as he embarked on his new chapter.
“I ran away from home in Chitungwiza in 2020 when I was 14,” he recalled.
“I had dropped out of school and had only 10 Grade Seven units. I was living with some relatives but I was being mistreated, so I decided to leave.”
With nowhere to go, Joshua joined other children living on the streets around Copacabana area in central Harare.
“We slept anywhere we could find space. We were taking all sorts of drugs. Sometimes we begged for food, and sometimes we searched for leftovers in bins just to survive,” he said.
That same year, his life took a dramatic turn when he and several other street children were taken to the First Lady’s Children’s Home in Chiredzi.
“At the home, we were given everything; food, clothing, shelter and care. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.”
In 2021, Joshua was enrolled for Form Two at Baptist School, with all his school fees, books and other educational needs fully catered for.
As he progressed, Dr Mnangagwa decided that he would benefit from a boarding school environment.
“In 2023, we were transferred to St Antony’s High School. Dr Mnangagwa paid for all the fees, uniforms and books,” he said.
Joshua excelled academically, passing 10 O-Level subjects, including Mathematics, English and Science.
Recognising his potential, the First Lady supported him through A-Level, where he studied Commercials including Mathematics, Accounting, Business Studies and Economics.
He passed with 14 points, earning a place under the Presidential Scholarship Programme.
“Now I am going to India to study for a Bachelor of Commerce,” he said with emotion.
“I want to thank my mother, Dr Mnangagwa for everything she has done for me. If I had remained on the streets, I would probably still be living that dangerous life of drugs and crime.”
Joshua said Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Children Home has become a family for many former street children and vulnerable youngsters.
“After primary school, we are sent to boarding schools such as St Antony’s, Zimuto, Pamushana and Mutendi. We are all supported according to our different educational levels,” he said.
He added that the programme has opened opportunities far beyond basic education.
“Some have travelled to Russia for sporting activities, others have gone to Japan, and we also have educational trips within Zimbabwe.”
Not every child follows an academic path, he said, noting that many are enrolled in vocational training centres, where they are learning building, welding, electrical work and other practical skills.
“Some have already completed their training and are now working. Others with disabilities are also receiving specialised support and education,” Joshua said.
His journey from a frightened 14-year-old sleeping on pavements to a university-bound scholarship recipient has become a powerful testament to the transformative power of compassion, education and opportunity.
As he prepares to board a plane to India, Joshua carries with him not only a passport and scholarship papers, but also a message of hope for every child still trapped on the streets.
“Life can change,” he said quietly. “Someone believed in me when I had given up on myself.”
Deputy Director of Child Protection Services in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Shingirai Amos Paungano, commended the First Lady for her continued support of vulnerable children through the Angel of Hope Foundation.
Mr Paungano said the intervention had demonstrated how providing children from disadvantaged backgrounds with opportunities could help them realise their potential.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr Mnangagwa, for the great work that she is doing for vulnerable people in our country, children in particular,” he said.
“We are very glad and very happy for the work that she has been doing, supporting the Ministry, supporting the Government of Zimbabwe through the Angel of Hope Foundation.”
Mr Paungano said Joshua’s transformation showed the importance of giving vulnerable children an opportunity to change their circumstances.
“Joshua is our child, and I am trying to imagine what his life would have been like if there was no such intervention. So now we are experiencing the good fruits and the good work of the First Lady,” he said.
He said Joshua’s journey was particularly inspiring considering his difficult background and the progress he had made academically.
“Through the First Lady’s support, we are now seeing that these children from disadvantaged backgrounds, what they only need is an opportunity for them to thrive and also to realise their potential,” he said.
Mr Paungano said Joshua had performed well at A-Level and was now set to further his education in India.
“He did very well in his A-Levels, and now he is proceeding to India to pursue a degree, which is something worth celebrating, given where he is coming from,” he said.
He added that Joshua himself had expressed gratitude for the support he had received, saying he had never imagined that he would reach such a stage in his life.
Beyond education, Mr Paungano said the First Lady’s interventions were helping address other challenges faced by children living and working on the streets, including exposure to drugs and substance abuse.
He said the programmes were holistic, combining educational opportunities with rehabilitation, moral guidance and the promotion of positive behaviour.
“Not only are we assisting these children to access education, but also in terms of moulding their morals, inculcating good behaviour in them, and drug and substance abuse rehabilitation,” he said. Mr Paungano said children living and working on the streets were particularly vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, making such comprehensive interventions important.
He also praised Dr Mnangagwa for promoting Ubuntu and cultural values among the children under her care.
“The First Lady always inculcates Ubuntu into these children through her work,” he said.
He said the children were being equipped with values that would help them become responsible citizens and good ambassadors of Zimbabwe wherever they went.
“All these boys have been exposed to the good inculcation of cultural values that even us as a country we are proud of,” he said.
Mr Paungano expressed confidence that Joshua would succeed in his studies and represent Zimbabwe well, while his journey could inspire other vulnerable children to pursue their dreams.
“Wherever he is going, we know that he is going to thrive, and we know that he is going to represent the country very well,” he said.
