malvernmugadzikwa
Veronica Gwaze
TODAY, the world celebrates Mother’s day under the theme “Celebrating Motherhood: A Timeless Bond”.
The day is set aside to show appreciation to mothers and mother figures across the globe.
The first commemorations, around 1908, were held in the United States to honour their sacrifice and hard work.
While some believe the day has been hyper-commercialised over the years, it still remains a special occasion.
Tinashe Mugabe, who rose to fame with his “The Closure DNA Show”, will be hosting Mother’s day celebrations at Great Zimbabwe, Masvingo.
The two-day event, which is meant to pay tribute and appreciate every mother, was expected to have started yesterday and end today.
Mother’s Day means different things to different people.
Bridget Mutumba, who is also popularly known as Mai MaTV, is a woman who has fought adversity to make it in life and provide for her children.
After divorcing her husband in 2017, she left her job at Zimplats and settled in Harare for a fresh start.
With the few dollars she had saved, the mother of three ventured into the babywear business.
As a single mother, she found it difficult to provide food for the family, pay rentals and fees, as well as meet other day-to-day obligations.
“I had lived in Mhondoro for years, so adjusting to life in Harare was tough, yet I had responsibilities that needed to be taken care of,” she said.
One day, in 2019, Mutumba got a client who needed a television set.
Using all her savings from the apparel business, she imported the set for the client, although she was initially sceptical.
But this was to mark a new chapter in her life, as she got more customers afterwards.
Over the years, she has carved a niche in the business and now runs two shops — one in Harare and the other in Zvishavane.
“I now have four employees; business is growing and I am now able to fully provide for my children. I celebrate myself on days like Mother’s Day because of what I have gone through in life,” said Mutumba.
In Prospect, Harare, Naomi Chimbganda, a school owner and teacher, will be celebrated for championing the fight against drug and substance abuse.
Chimbganda lost her husband, Raphael, to Covid-19 in 2020.
Every year, she receives presents from her children on Mother’s Day and this year she celebrates the occasion differently as she focuses on the school.
“After losing my husband, I decided to focus more on our school. With the scourge of drug and substance abuse, I felt I needed to play a part in the fight. We have been conducting programmes to raise awareness in our learners; sometimes we rope in experts to talk to them, and I believe it is working because no cases have been reported from our school,” she said.
Chimbganda, who is into philanthropic work, is also a founding member of a support group where widows converge for assistance and closure.
“We share our stories as widows and console each other. I am happy that the group is growing.”
The Glow Petroleum-sponsored Rainbow Netball League is also celebrating the day differently this year.
All its games are being played under the theme “Say No to Drugs”.
For Glow Petroleum Queens defender Tanaka Makusha, Mother’s Day is a time for her and her fellow players to raise awareness on drug and substance abuse.
“We are role models in the community and we should take advantage of that and speak up on drug and substance abuse issues. As usual, I will be celebrating my mother and myself as a young mum. But this time the celebration will largely be focused on letting our voices be heard out there,” she said.
Online Reporter