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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
LOSING her husband who was the family’s breadwinner left Mrs Susan Murimbika vulnerable and heartbroken with agony and despair written all over her face for many years.
Everyday, she had to ponder on where to get the next meal to feed her family of five which includes her son who has a disability.
However, on Sunday, she kissed goodbye to poverty thanks to the mother of the nation First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who enrolled 2 000 widows, widowers, the disabled and those with albinism drawn from Harare province, in a detergent and petroleum jelly-making course through her trailblazing Angel of Hope Foundation.
After the training which involved both theory and practical exercises, Amai Mnangagwa gave them starterpacks to immediately begin their projects in groups in their constituencies.
Each constituency also received dressed chickens from the First Lady which the groups will feed on when making their detergents.
In addition, they were given various types of vegetable seeds for Horticulture4She and food hampers which had cooking oil, rice, sugar and mealie-meal.
The beneficiaries said having a shoulder to cry on in times of distress and someone to lift them up when down, helps cultivate a sense of belonging which relaxes the mind.
They are grateful to Amai Mnangagwa who said nothing is as rewarding and fulfilling as the ability to use one’s hands to earn a living.
The groups gathered at Belvedere Technical Teachers College where they received the training courtesy of the First Lady’s love and quest to ensure children countrywide are raised in a dignified manner.
One of the beneficiaries of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s economic empowerment projects in detergent making and farming participates in the detergent making training in Harare on Sunday.
Dr Mnangagwa said she sought to strengthen the widows and widowers by making them understand that it was no longer time to mourn, but to stand up and work hard to look after the family.
She encouraged them to be involved in income-generating projects to sustain their families in a dignified manner.
Amai Mnangagwa provided exercise books for beneficiaries of the empowerment programme to jot down notes as they listened attentively to their trainers.
The First Lady’s gesture of spending time with the vulnerable groups, brought beaming smiles to their faces.
She also stressed the need for peace, love and harmony as the country gears for the harmonised elections tomorrow.
“I welcome you all and I have come to strengthen you as widows, widowers and those with disabilities. God took your partner whom you were living with but we thank him for the wonderful time you had because we cannot judge for him as he would have done his wish. You must however seek guidance and wisdom from him to look after the children he gave us. Today I have brought an empowerment programme and we will start an association that I will lead and a committee that I will be working with. I have come to carry you on my back though to some of you I am a child but what some of you are going through, I also went through the same growing up. To my widowed mothers, I want you to remain dignified and content with what you were left with. We say no to those who become promiscuous. If your daughters do the same, how will you counsel them?” he said.
“I want to tell you a story about my life,” she said before she gave a brief history of her upbringing in a child headed family with her being the eldest.
“I have recounted this story so that I strengthen those who were orphaned. Orphanhood does not bid you to start being naughty, but to do good. I have come to strengthen you as women to work for your families. God loves you and will never leave you. I have brought you projects so that you become self-reliant. I also brought Agric4She so that you produce vegetables, tomatoes, onions. I have brought seeds, fertilisers and chemicals so that you may have high yields for household food security and excess for sale to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). For projects, I brought you detergent and petroleum jelly-making and I urge you to work in groups so that you maximise on products and profit. I want you to have an income,” she said.
She added: “The Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU)/Angel of Hope Foundation partnership is enabling you to enroll for short courses for free so that you learn how to run your businesses through financial literacy and financial discipline. I want your projects to bloom and flourish. I am pained to see women crying out saying they do not have anything that brings income when we can use our hands. Therefore, I have brought you projects so that you have somewhere to start from,” she said.
One of the male beneficiaries of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s economic empowerment projects in detergent making and farming participates in the detergent making training in Harare on Sunday
Chaplin Christine Phiri from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) likened the mother of the nation to a big shawl capable of accommodating all her children and providing for their needs.
“Our mother is like a big shawl capable of accommodating all her children and she loves us all. Today she has come to be with us challenging us to pray in the face of challenges. She is emphasizing that disability is not inability therefore she is encouraging everyone to work hard through the projects she is bringing for us. Some were rejected by relatives because of disability but our mother welcomes and embraces everyone. Some among us were widowed but she is inviting everyone to work hard,” she said before bursting into the song, “Shandira mhuri yako”.
“The mother of the nation is saying even if the wife dies, the man should come forward and we use our hands and discuss issues that build families and ensure children grow on the correct path. She is saying remain hopeful, I am there for you,” Chaplin Phiri said.
Evangelist Nelly Gwatidzo buttressed the same message saying:
“Being widowed and called Shirikadzi does not mean you should be looked down upon. Shirikadzi can losely be translated to a female bird which builds its children a nest and tends to them. It looks for food and teaches its children to fly because if it does not do so they will die. Our mother has come to give widows a fishing rod so that they fish and get food for their children, teach your children to walk in the right path so that they do not go astray. You must therefore rise and work. As a mother, you should not spend time in beerhalls because prostitution leads to diseases and death. Our mother is saying we are the role models of our children and if they see you at the bar and with different men everyday what will they learn from you? Let us work for our children using our hands. You may have a disability but the projects Amai brought for you can be done by all of us, they are not hard to handle,” she said.
Permanent Secretary for Harare Metropolitan Province Dr Tafadzwa Muguti praised the First Lady for her educative programmes.
“Amai, you have visited the whole country and have not spared any corner of the country where you see how families are living. Today you said you wanted to meet 2 000 beneficiaries, those with disabilities, widows, widowers and those with albinism whom you want to train projects so that they are self-reliant. You are a loving mother,” he said.
Mr Bothwell Musingawani said: “On Wednesday August 23 I know where to vote because what the President is doing alongside the First Lady must continue. We want our peers to also benefit from these projects but this is only possible if we ensure President Mnangagwa retains his office and. With the knowledge I received today, I shall do the project at home. I have a disability, but I will manage to undertake this project.”
Beneficiaries of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s economic empowerment projects in detergent making and farming follow proceedings during the detergent making training in Harare on Sunday. — Pictures: John Manzongo
So thrilled with the courses were the beneficiaries that they applauded the mother of the nation.
Mrs Stella Matomba said she had a special place in her heart for the First Lady.
“I have a special place in my heart for the First Lady because of what she has done for me and for what she always does. Ever since my husband died, I was having challenges putting food on the table but this is now a thing of the past given that the First Lady has come to my rescue and has given us a fishing rod,” she said.
Mr Phebion Dheka echoed similar sentiments.
“I am truly thankful to the First Lady for her love which is deeper than an ocean. I was struggling to send my children to school, but now I can now perform my role as a father without any challenges because of the training I have received. May God bless her for the love she continues to show,” he said.
Another beneficiary said; “Living as widow is a great challenge. Most members of the community accuse us of being husband snatchers, but now that I have a course and will be making these detergents and petroleum jelly, everyone will see that I will be raising my family through sheer hard work. Our mother is well-meaning and we shall continue rallying behind her,” she said.
Mr Kudakwashe Majake who has a disability said; “We thank Amai for coming to empower us to rise from where we were. She has taught us, encouraged us and uplifted us. We wont anymore wallow in poverty or behave as beggars. We have been raised from the dust.”
Another woman with albinism weighed in saying; “I want to thank our mother for initiating this project for us and giving us life lessons. The project will help us realise income to keep our children and grandchildren in school. As women we must not ask for salt and maize-meal from neighbours, but work for ourselves and stop gossiping to concentrate on projects. I forever cherish this day. I have found joy and comfort in my heart because I have realised that someone out there has an ear for our plight.”
Online Reporter