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Tendai Rupapa in MUZARABANI
THE elderly in Muzarabani were yesterday left wearing broad smiles after being served nutritious meals and enjoying a breath of fresh air, thanks to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who mobilised women and men from various religious denominations, chief’s wives and other members of the community to clean homes of the elderly in various villages.
She lend an ear to challenges faced by the elderly and held an interactive session with the community tackling issues of child marriages, domestic violence and drug abuse which are rearing an ugly head in communities.
The elderly were also given a platform to share information on how they got married, how they grew up and the way they were trained in the Gota and Nhanga, reinforcing the need to follow traditional values to build lasting marriages and successful lives.
This was not the first time the First Lady has done this programme as she has done so since 2019.
Amai Mnangagwa is on a mission to sow love and ensure traditional norms and values are restored, while also providing safety nets for the vulnerable and elderly. While the women were busy with household chores, men were in the fields harvesting maize.
The First Lady formed groups which then split and visited many houses.
Dr Mnangagwa and a group of women and men started with the home of Gogo Mainesi Sikireta (83) who stays with her 66-year-old daughter Sphiwe and grandchildren.
Gogo Sikireta had seven children, but lost six of them and her husband and faces difficulties walking because of sore legs.
On arrival, the First Lady sat on a reed mat and sought permission from her host to clean and cook for her.
“Pamusoroi Mbuya, I have come to spend time with you and perform your household chores as you relax. Allow me and my team to perform all household chores,” she said.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa prepares lunch which she later served to Gogo Mainesi Sikireta and her grandchildren and other villagers after she washed dishes in Muzarabani on Saturday
In response, Gogo Sikireta allowed Dr Mnangagwa to proceed.
“Feel free to do all you want my daughter. I am overjoyed today to be visited by the mother of the nation. This has never happened to me. What then shall I give you, can I slaughter a chicken to show my appreciation.
“I am an elderly widow with an aching back and sore legs, but today you have remembered me my daughter. Your love is amazing as you do not select and love everyone equally. I wish you well in life and may God bless you,” she said.
The First Lady responded: “I am grateful that you have accepted my offer. We are one family Mbuya and we should show one another love as a nation.”
She then started the chores by sweeping the yard, weeding and polishing the rooms with cow dung.
She proceeded to wash the elderly lady’s clothes and blankets.
Amai Mnangagwa and her team then turned to the pots and pans to prepare lunch.
She lit a fire and prepared sadza, rice, beef, liver, chicken and vegetables which she served her host and members of her family.
The food was also served to men who had come to help in support of First Lady’s programme.
Men, including Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda helped by harvesting maize.
After lunch, the First Lady cleaned all the dishes and plates before she gave Gogo Sikireta food hampers, toiletries and 2-in-1 blankets before saying her good byes.
From there, Amai Mnangagwa proceeded to Sekuru and Mbuya Chisanzu’s homestead where she was warmly welcomed and sat on the mat with them discussing stories and sharing jokes.
Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda and other men harvest maize from Gogo Sikireta’s field in Muzarabani on Saturday
Sekuru Zvakare Chisanzu (81) stays with his wife Monica (84).
Dr Mnangagwa explained the purpose of her visit.
“I saw it fit to visit you Mbuya na Sekuru because you share wisdom, ndimi ana chipanga mazano. We have come to perform household chores while also learning from you,” she said and her wish was granted.
Gogo Chisanzu expressed gratitude for being remembered.
“I thank you for remembering us, including our peers who are elderly. I have eyesight challenges which makes my husband perform most of the duties around the home. Today you have remembered us and we are forever grateful,” she said.
The First Lady and her team cleaned the house, did laundry and prepared delicious meals.
She also gave them hampers and blankets before going to other houses to do the same.
Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Monica Mavhunga, also led other teams cleaning the houses of the elderly in full support of Dr Mnangagwa’s programme.
After all the elderly’s houses had been cleaned, Amai Mnangagwa proceeded to Chawarura Primary School where thousands of people had gathered and held an interactive session with them.
“I greet you all with joy and wish to thank you for gathering here alongside the elderly as we relax with them as they recount how they grew up and how they met one another. I want you to listen as they speak since they impart valuable wisdom and you learn a lot.
“In 2019 I went around the provinces with this programme and today I am back reminding you on the need to look after our elderly. In the olden days we had the extended family unit, but this has collapsed and each person is caring for himself/ herself alone. Who is causing this? Is it you, daughter-in-law, is it you, son-in-law and where is this disharmony coming from?” she asked.
Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Monica Mavhunga and other women dry blankets and clothes they washed for Sekuru and Gogo Chisanzu during a visit to the elderly by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Muzarabani
The First Lady said the elderly need to be remembered at all times and the extended family unit should not be broken.
“Aunties, grandmothers and grandfathers are there to mould the youths to grow up morally upright but this can be achieved through cultivating good relations. I hear some daughters-in-law do not want their children to visit their grandmothers.
“The elderly need to be visited regularly. Churches must hold regular prayer sessions at their homes. Churches mould families and let us follow the word of God.
“We must have love at all times and live in a clean environment. I want you to continue from where I have left in terms of looking after our elderly,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa also spoke out against child marriages and drug abuse which are affecting communities.
“The elderly are worried by child marriages and drug abuse which were not as prevalent during their time,” she said.
“Wherever I go, parents are troubled by cases of drug abuse. To those who are brewing the drugs, the long arm of the law will catch up with you.
“Our children are doing bad things like stealing, raping and killing because they will be under the influence of drugs. Our children are ruined by drugs. Where the nine months of pregnancy not painful enough now that you are selling drugs to children?
“Let us have the heart of mothers. Let us stop this forthwith. How about marrying off children before the time is ripe? Mashonaland Central tops in this, where is this coming from? Who is doing this between Baba na Amai? The marriages are collapsing because the parties will be young.
“The children themselves are also eloping at tender ages. Domestic violence has worsened in the homes with men stressing women and children. There are women who also abuse men.”
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a food hamper and blankets to Sekuru and Gogo Chisanzu where she also cleaned their homestead, washed blankets and clothes, harvested maize, cooked and served lunch and cleaned the plates and dishes in Muzarabani
Dr Mnangagwa spoke about her toll-free line 575 where people can report cases of gender-based violence and be accorded help they require.
“I now want to talk to the elderly. Gogo when you got married, what qualities did you admire in your husband. Same with ana Sekuru makaonei panambuya zvakazoita kuti muvaroore?” she asked, triggering laughter from the gathering.
Mbuya Susan Matope said she loved her husband because he was strong and smart.
“He was well-behaved and did not lower his pants below the waist like the children of nowadays who wear five pairs of trousers like a moving wardrobe which is bad. He also did not smoke nor take drugs,” she said.
Mbuya Unah Chakacheya echoed similar sentiments and said she respected elders during her time.
“I was smart and I enjoyed being with the people while respecting elders. I used to wear ‘tererini’ dresses and my husband went to register his interest in me with my aunt. When I heard this I accepted the proposal because he too was smart and wore berry bottoms which were well-ironed. We would swim with boys but nothing would happen. Nowadays children rush to have sex before the time is ripe, why rush?” she asked.
An elderly lady with a disability said she got married despite her condition because of good manners.
“I am disabled but my husband loved me as I was because I was well-behaved. I have a disability but it did not stop me from performing my duties as a daughter-in-law but nowadays if daughters-in-law put on long nails, they refuse to perform their duties around the home,” she said.
The First Lady expressed gratitude to the elderly for their teachings which she encouraged people to take to heart.
All the elderly at the venue and traditional chiefs received blankets, food hampers and toiletries.
Everyone who came also went home with smiles after receiving grain, maize meal, rice, macaroni and cooking oil from the First Lady.
Mrs Sophia Mukanganyama said she had learnt a huge lesson from the mother of the nation.
“I thank our mother for her visit to this area to teach us to look after our elderly. The elderly are having their homes cleaned through our mother. I have learned something very important from this because I never thought about this. I am also grateful that she has united us as people from various religious denominations numbering up to 10 churches.
“She united us and made it possible for us to collectively assist the elderly in the communities in which we live. She gave us wisdom to understand that we need to assist the elderly. Even if she leaves this place, we shall continue assisting our grandmothers in the communities. The elderly need to be fed and given assistance to clean homes and perform chores which they cannot do alone because of advanced age,” she said.
Minister Mavhunga expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her programme which sowed the seeds of love.
“I thank you for your educative programmes Amai. Today you came with a programme of assisting and remembering the elderly. What you did today is only done by a few and we learnt an important lesson. As a province we learnt that it is essential help the elderly and we shall continue doing so,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa urged chief’s wives, churches, youths and the rest of the communities to have the interests of the elderly at heart.
Online Reporter