Sundaymail Editor
Tendai Rupapa
Senior Reporter
EMPOWERMENT CHAMPION First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa on Thursday witnessed the fruits of her advocacy first-hand during a visit to Nyamuroro High School in Gokwe, where she toured a thriving garden of leaf and fruit vegetables cultivated by learners.
The well-maintained garden — boasting vegetables such as rape, covo, cabbages, tomatoes and carrots — was established by the schoolchildren in response to the First Lady’s call to “use their hands” and embrace self-reliance from a young age.
The learners, inspired by Dr Mnangagwa’s teachings, said they had formed a board to oversee the farming projects as they prepare to start supplying their produce to local markets and shops.
As a token of appreciation, they presented the First Lady with a bundle of vegetables, which she warmly accepted.
Amai Mnangagwa’s “catch-them-young” philosophy draws from biblical principles of instilling good values in children early in life — values that they carry with them into adulthood.
Her approach also serves a dual purpose: keeping children engaged in productive activities and steering them away from societal ills such as early marriages, teen pregnancies and drug abuse.
In line with her nationwide reforestation efforts, the First Lady was joined by the learners in planting trees at the school. She planted a mahogany (muwawa) tree — one of the largest and most commercially valuable indigenous tree species in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The Trabablas Arboretum was also established at the school, featuring a variety of indigenous trees intended for educational and research purposes.
Through her Angel of Hope Foundation, Dr Mnangagwa has initiated developmental projects across Zimbabwe, especially nutrition gardens in schools, bringing lasting impact and smiles to many young faces. Even in her address to thousands of children drawn from all provinces across the country who were treated to a colourful Children’s Party at Nyamuroro School in Gokwe, which was full of fun and pregnant with life lessons, courtesy of the First Family, the First Lady did not hide her joy. She praised the industrious children from both Nyamuroro primary and secondary schools.
The Children’s Party is an annual event that precedes Independence Day celebrations. Song, dance and a wild array of activities were in store to give the children a day to remember while celebrating the birth of their motherland. Amai Mnangagwa said she was filled with joy because of the work the children were doing.
“I was overjoyed here at Nyamuroro High School. I am also happy that the garden was started by both secondary and primary school learners. If I look at the ages of the children here and what they are producing, it means they are grasping what I go about saying and teaching them. They did this following what I have been doing in other areas where I am initiating nutrition gardens in schools and teaching learners how it is done,” she said.
“These children will never leave agricultural production and I urge them to continue working and all they are producing is healthy, from the garden to the table. This is good because they will stay away from mischief like love affairs at school and drug and substance abuse. Vana vangu, you heard my message and followed, well done. You have done well and shown the whole country that you are good listeners.”
The mother of the nation, who is also the Agric4SHE patron, underscored the importance of agriculture in sustaining livelihoods.
The First Lady later interacted with children from all provinces in the main auditorium. The children were eagerly waiting to tap into her wisdom. Dr Mnangagwa, who has a passion for the welfare of children, took time to interact with them on various social issues affecting today’s youths.
The First Lady urged the children to take to heart all the life lessons they were drawing from her Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme.
Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba moral restoration is a programme aimed at moulding morally upright citizens.
“I want all those who received the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba teachings to take them to heart and move with them for their lifetime. We do not stay together all the time and you shall go wherever, isn’t it so? Let that keep you in your life, and to those I have not visited, I am on my way. I am glad that I have been shown a lot of things here, including the Presidential ICT Hub, which we toured. I want you to use computers wisely, my children. Computer hubs are coming everywhere and please do not generate love letters there, falling in love amongst yourselves and impregnating one another. When you do so, one of you will drop out of school. Who is this?” she said.
In response, the children shouted: “The girl.”
She advised girls to turn down romantic advances before the time is ripe.
“As a girl, are you able to say no, just saying no?” she said, and all the learners shouted “yes”.
“Say that again,” Dr Mnangagwa said, and everyone shouted “no”.
“Boys are you there? The girls said ‘no’ and what are you saying in response? As boys, are you also saying ‘no’. No plus no equals to a very big NO. Mirirai nguva vanangu; ichakwana. The President said the future of the nation lies in your hands, so if you disturb one another now, what will the future be? We want you to remain within our cultural norms and values so that you respect your parents and even elders in communities. Respect is not confined to your parents alone but everyone and you shall be a good child because they will teach you good manners and when taught, be grateful and use the teachings,” she said.
The First Lady thanked the President for hammering on the need for children to use their hands to earn an honest living.
“President, Baba, thank you so much. You said if you can’t do anything using your hands, you are not learned, isn’t it so? But here at Nyamuroro there is a vegetable garden from where I also plucked some vegetables, so you, the children of Nyamuroro, are learned because we found something tangible. I am going to cook the vegetables that I was given here for the President. You must use your hands and stay away from mischief,” she said to wild applause.
Amai Mnangagwa encouraged them to take their studies seriously.
She handed over hampers to the children, much to their delight.
Children who are undertaking the garden project were on cloud nine.
Tendai Rumbi said: “I learn at Nyamuroro Primary School. I am so happy with the teachings from the First Lady, and she regularly teaches us. We are going to be fathers in the future and as men, we must raise our families through farming. Hard work and being responsible starts from a young age, hence our mother’s vision to catch us young. She told us to leave drugs and learn to leave love affairs before the time is right. We gave Amai our first fruits, showing that we have embraced her teachings.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Panashe Mutongi.
“I learn here at Nyamuroro Kubatana High School. We are happy for this programme that we have started at our school following Amai’s teachings. Even at home, we are now helping our parents to plant crops. Our mother is teaching us to work so that we leave drugs and other vices. As girls, we feel so happy because we won’t rush into marriages as we will be self-dependent,” she said.
More learners spoke highly of the First Lady, saying their agricultural exploits are a result of the inspiration they drew from her.
Another learner said: “I am thankful for the opportunity and being afforded the chance to interact with our loving mother. We learnt a lot from her wise teachings. We are blessed as a nation to have a mother like her. Her teachings will remain etched in our minds,” he said.
London Joseph, a Grade Seven learner from Harare province, wowed guests after putting up a scintillating performance in poetry praising the First Lady’s initiatives.
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