Mhondoro community benefits from First Lady’s poultry project, social education

Tendai Rupapa in Mhondoro

PEOPLE came in droves in Mhondoro on Wednesday to witness First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hand over chicks, feed and stress packs to former ladies of the night, widows, youths and the elderly as part of her nationwide empowerment programme.

They also came to tap into her life teachings.

It has become a tradition that the First Lady holds interactive sessions with the people wherever she visits communities to share ideas on issues of social and economic importance, hence the massive turnout in Mashonaland West province, which was the tenth to have the poultry project.

Men were also present to support their spouses and children who benefitted.

The empowerment project was rolled out at a time when the First Lady discovered that youths were engaging in drug abuse, child marriages, prostitution and other morally reprehensible behaviour.

The First Lady tackled social issues in an interactive session with members of the community where she urged them to work hard for a brighter future.

“I am overjoyed to meet you here in Mhondoro, Mashonaland West province. I have come so that we learn constructive issues with the aim of transforming people’s lives to ensure women, boys and girls do not lag behind in terms of development,” she said.

“We must push forward hard work and not gossip. I have a zeal to make everyone succeed as this benefits families, the community and the nation. Women, you are the ones I put in the front because you shape the image of the home. We want women who accept to have their children counselled by others. A woman should dress decently and be loving. 

“I recently held a fundraising dinner where people gathered in their numbers and heard me crying out for resources to enable me to assist all my children. I am thankful that the people of Zimbabwe and international partners heard my concerns and came to assist. That is when Gain Cash and Carry came on stream. Many others came with resources, and for that I am thankful.”

The First Lady said she had come to check progress that had been made by communities in working together.

“We have come to stamp out gossip because it is evil and destructive. I want to see how you will be rearing these chickens. With all resources available, all you have to do is feed them. I have come to end gossip so that we divert our energy to our project. I enjoy being with the people and the title ‘‘First Lady’’ is a bit heavy, so I have come as ‘‘muchembere’’ so that we discuss without barriers. If I come as the First Lady, you will be afraid of speaking out your minds. I want to be closer to you and not be separated by a title. As women, we were created as hard workers, but why is it so?” she asked, seeking responses from the audience to ignite the dialogue.

In response, Mrs Anna Nyadzayo said: “We work because we are the helpers of our spouses and the woman shapes the home, and for it to be recognisable, we have to work hard.”

The First Lady said the poultry project was born out of friendship, unity and co-operation.

“I have come so that we learn together as women and encourage one another to work hard. Boys and girls, learn to use your hands. Using one’s hands brings real transformation. Project management needs self-discipline in terms of how you utilise the funds you realise. It also requires financial discipline to know how you use money. We do not want this project to lead to marriage challenges when we start realising cash madzimai tobva tatanga kuenda pamusoro panababa (then as wives we start thinking we are above our husbands). 

“In our country, we respect men because they are the heads of households. When we get money, let us remain submissive. When you realise money as women and youths, what will you do?” she asked.

Mrs Memory Gwese expressed gratitude for the project and said it will help them look after their families with the help of their husbands.

This dovetailed with the views of Mr Passmore Mushaniwani, a youth.

“This project will transform our lives as youths. We promise not to go back to our old ways of mischief, which retard national progress. Drugs kill us but projects empower and build us,” he said to applause.

Mrs Primrose Mukundwe said the project would ensure women have money at all times and do not rely entirely on their spouses for everything.

“This project will make us stay with money in our pockets so that our husbands do not look down upon us. Whenever we ask for money from them, they brag. We are tired of saying such a thing is exhausted because this triggers violence in the home. Taramba maDCC mumba, anaDaddy Chakati Chapera (We do not like idle women in our homes),” she said.

The First Lady emphasised that the project sought to create peace in homes and curb gender-based violence.

Youthful Patience Manhenga said the poultry project would help youths escape mischief.

“With this project, we shall leave our bad ways. What will a woman look for in a bar when the project is generating income for her? If you go drinking, you will find the chickens stolen. Therefore, one would rather concentrate on looking after her project. Prostitution does not pay but only brings diseases and deaths. Amai, tinotenda, matinyurura mumatope isu sevasikana (We thank you mother for rescuing us, girls, from murky waters),” she said.

Gogo Irene Chivavaya said the First Lady had lifted scores of people from the dust through the well-thought-out project.

“Today, you have lifted us from the dust as Mhondoro-Mubaira and Mashonaland West as a whole; we will never look back. If we, the elderly, can join projects, what stops our young people from following suit? Thus, we encourage the youths to take this project seriously. Amai, you have come to teach us the importance of hard work and that a country is built by its citizenry. You have deep love and Mhondoro will never be the same again. We shall be known the world over for hard work,” she said.

The First Lady agreed with the beneficiaries that projects had countless benefits.

“It’s true that once you join the project, you will leave behind all the bad things that pull you down and focus on your transformation. To my children, where did this drunkenness come from? Why are you taking drugs while damaging your bodies?”

In response, one youngster agreed that he once took drugs due to Western influences and a quest to experiment.

“Mama, we used to take drugs, I admit. It’s because of Western influences and we sought to experiment. However, with this project I promise to leave all this and be a focused youth. When intoxicated with drugs, we do a lot of things, especially committing crimes. We had abandoned even going to church because of drugs,” he said.

Amai Mnangagwa said she was pained to see young people ruining their lives due to drugs.

“To those who are selling these drugs, why are you killing these children? It is no longer a joke as it is getting serious. I urge shop owners who are selling these things to throw them away and stop killing children,” added the First Lady.

Gogo Abigail Kunaka expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her concern for children who were being ruined by alcohol and drugs.

“We are thankful for your visit to assist us over the issue of drugs. As parents, we are the ones killing our children because we are making these brews in our homes. Here people brew twuGorogo and Skindo (illicit brews). I have a grandchild who is in Form Two and I am troubled by his drug abuse tendencies, and he is absconding school due to this. We are pained and stressed by this,” she said.

Schoolchildren who were at the interactive session told the First Lady some of the effects of drug abuse.

“Drugs have caused a lot of problems countrywide. Some children have quit school and have gone mad because of drugs. Others are smoking diapers. I urge vana mama (mothers) not to throw away diapers everywhere because they are being picked and smoked,” said Tadiwanashe Chawira, a Form One learner.

Tawananyasha Rugonye, a Form Three learner, concurred: 

“Drugs are forcing most of our peers to drop out of school. They are stealing bulbs and making guka. Even Grade 7 learners are taking drugs.”

The First Lady weighed in, saying she was moving around the country with her Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme to educate young people on the dangers of substance abuse.

“My children, I encourage you to listen to the teachings and quit drugs so that your future is bright. Grandmothers and grandfathers, let’s put our heads together and sit down with the children and meet with them regularly, teaching them the correct morals to follow.”

The First Lady also touched on family life.

“How about our way of life in the homes? Are you men and women living well because some rifts are making children lose direction and take drugs?”

In response, an elderly woman blamed violence in the home on men.

“Men are causing violence in the home. We have many cases concerning girlfriends who are given all the money, and if you dare ask, you are bashed. We are tired of being assaulted in the homes and we are glad you are here to talk to them.”

The First Lady sought to know if the women were reporting domestic violence cases to the police.

In response, some women said they were not reporting as they feared their husbands, who are breadwinners, would be arrested.

The First Lady urged women and men who are being abused to report to the Victim Friendly Unit so that they are counselled by the police. She further urged women to work and not wait for men alone.

Sekuru Fradreck Muzanenhamo thanked the First Lady for what she had done.

“We are thankful for this project because we were asked to buy everything in the house, including salt. If you fail to provide, you are even denied conjugal rights,” he said.

A school teacher, Mrs Chiyedza Sikuna, said some parents were forcing their children to marry at young ages.

“I am a teacher with a Form One class. I have a learner who is being forced to get married. She is stressed over this and may soon start taking drugs to relieve herself of the stress. I am thankful for your visit. We reported the parents to (Department of) Social Welfare and the matter is now in their hands. This child started being stressed while in Grade Seven. Her parents want her to get married by December,” the teacher said.

The First Lady said she wanted to follow up on the case and said if the parents force her to drop out of school, she would send the child to school through her Angel of Hope Foundation. 

She even sought to engage the parents.

The teacher thanked Amai Mnangagwa for her love and for fighting against child marriages.

The First Lady spoke out against cheating in marriages and asked who was to blame for this.

Men blamed their wives, while women blamed their husbands for cheating. 

“In the projects, madzimai (ladies), if you start, I want you to utilise the Women’s Bank, while youths use Empower Bank and get loans to ensure the projects flourish.”

As health ambassador, she reminded people that Covid-19 is still with us and they should remain vigilant. 

She urged people to undergo regular health checks and to have children immunised against measles.

The First Lady,  who is also Government’s environment patron, warned people against burning forests and cutting down trees.

A Gain Cash and Carry representative, Mrs Leonet Mavhura, said her firm had a cordial working relationship with the First Lady.

“We have covered a long journey with Amai and we continue to work with her. I wish to thank her for the work that she is doing countrywide. If you hear Amai saying she is leaving to work for the people, you automatically know that she will be moving mountains, and as Gain Cash and Carry, we follow her, supporting her. The project she is bringing to the people will change their lives forever. We thank you Amai,” she said.

In a speech read on her behalf by the Permanent Secretary in her office, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the poultry project was in line with the country’s National Development Strategy 1.

“Today, Mhondoro-Mubaira is grateful to welcome you, especially when you have brought this project that fulfils the aims of NDS1, which will make everyone, including Mhondoro-Mubaira, be a middle-income society by 2030.

“Your family is grateful because it knows you never leave a place the same. It has a history of development that you bring for women, men and the elderly in various places in the country. Today you have brought a chicken project to give people a head-start to look after their families and create employment,” she said.