Happy Mother’s Day

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa kisses a girl on the cheek during one of her numerous interactions with children around the country

I EXTEND warm greetings to you all as we celebrate Mother’s Day.

While we rally everyone to honour mothers and women in general on this special occasion, it should not be a one-off thing.

Every day should be Mother’s Day.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa interacts and teaches schoolchildren from the SADC region on good morals and the importance of valuing education during the Regional World Children’s Day commemorations in Victoria Falls last year

Malcolm X once said: “The mother is the first teacher of the child. The message she gives that child, that child gives to the world.”

True to his words, mothers are life-givers; they teach you to walk without support, hold you when you fall and understand you when the world does not.

A mother plays the role of a child’s first teacher, and her teachings will guide you throughout your journey of life.

**First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is swarmed by children who wanted to hug her during one of her numerous interactions with children around the country**

As mothers, we have a God-given role to run and watch over our families tichibatsirana nanababa kuchengetedza mhuri dzedu sevabereki uye senharirire dzemusha.

Our spouses, children, the extended family and all those in our care require that we be strong to foster positivity, uprightness and respect.

We are mothers first before anything else and motherhood is defined by love, care, guidance and teaching to nurture sons and daughters of Zimbabwe.

**First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa teaches girls how to bake during one of her numerous girls’ camps**

Sadly, as we commemorate Mother’s Day this year, we are confronted with challenges of teen pregnancies, child marriages and drug and substance abuse, which require us to put our heads together and ensure children remain in school and focus on their studies for a brighter future.

Heartlessness is not a mark of good motherhood.

I am shocked to learn that there are some mothers who are selling drugs to young children and recruiting them into the world of prostitution, which only ruins them as well as spawn disease and death.

**First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa serves food to children during one of her countless school feeding programmes around Zimbabwe**

We can do better as a nation by not doing to other people’s children what we do not wish for our own.

Naivo vana vagobvuma kutsiurika nekudzidziswa gwara rakanaka pamwe nekukudza vabereki, vanova baba naamai.

Even the Bible says honour your father and mother, which is the fifth of the Ten Commandments.

It emphasises respect, obedience and gratitude towards parents, acknowledging their role in raising you, imi vana.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa interacts with the flying instructor and trainee pilots from disadvantaged communities she awarded full scholarships for their training through her Angel of Hope Foundation. — Pictures: John Manzongo

Also, there is no family without orphans, and it is incumbent upon us as mothers to offer these children protection and lead them on the correct path of honesty, dedication and hard work.

While women’s role of nurturing the nation deserves to be celebrated, they need to make meaningful contributions to the economy.

I have always encouraged women to work hard using their hands and be able to fend for their families.

Ideal mothers must honour God and raise their children in a dignified manner.

Let us be fountains that overflow with sweetness this special day as we hand-hold our spouses, sons and daughters to greatness and warn them against the drug menace that is wreaking havoc across the globe.

Even one soul is too much to die of drug abuse.

Let us bring our families closer to God and fight for their success through prayer. Real mothers care, I am sure we all do!

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa