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Tendai Rupapa
Senior Reporter
FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday descended on Chitungwiza at the invitation of women who were charmed by her drive to nurture citizens of traditional norms and values and promoting traditional dishes.
People marvelled to see the First Lady humbly going about her duties in the dusty streets of Zengeza 2 showing that as a true mother, her programmes covered the needs of all citizens.
The visit to the town comes amid revelations that youths in Chitungwiza, just like everywhere else nationwide, were abusing drugs and alcohol and had lost morals. Dressing was raised as another area of concern.
Mrs Asimuta Muzavazi, the chairperson of the Creches Association Women in Business which runs over 13 crèches in Chitungwiza said they extended an invitation to the First Lady in appreciation of the work she is doing countrywide.
“We invited the First Lady after seeing her going around the whole country counselling youths and it touched us. We also saw her teaching people about our traditional meals that we had completely forgotten about, but she revived them.
“As an association, we then said since we work with young children, we have to educate them on the importance of consuming indigenous foods while they are still young so that they embrace it.
“We want to have days during which we serve traditional food in our crèches. Some children refuse to eat traditional dishes or frown upon it. Some refuse millet sadza saying it looks muddy, so our aim is to make our children know at a tender age so that they grow strong because this food has medicinal properties,” she said.
She added; “We also saw the First Lady conducting the nhanga/gota/ixiba programme and we are striving to teach our community hence the visit by Amai. Our children are now like streets urchins even when we stay with them in the homes. Some of the drugs they are taking we do not know.
“We hear even diapers and bulbs have materials they take so that they get high. They are now disrespectful and some of them are running away from school to sit in the streets. We saw that if we take our children from the community to learn, they will in turn teach their peers.
“We want to thank our mother for accepting our invitation, she is a mother with great and inexplicable love,” she said.
While girls were in the nhanga with the First Lady and elderly women, boys too were being taught in the gota by elderly men from the community.
The First Lady hit the nail on the head, spelling the need for youths to observe chastity.
Speaking to the girls she said; “Do you know that your body is the temple of the Lord and not for boys to play with? Once you allow boys to play with you, you embarrass us as parents.
“Today we have come to teach you because as adults we cannot watch our youths getting lost. We have not come to teach you so that you elope. We have come to teach you morals and to treasure your education. If we combine morality and education, we come up with a daughter we want in this country.
“Learn to say no to men and boys who chase after you before the time is ripe,” she said.
Mbuya Margaret Diza (79) thanked the mother of the nation for her programmes, saying they had never seen anything like that before since she had the nation at heart.
“When a girl grows, her body changes and she starts menstrual periods which means she can conceive. This is why we insist on refusing to have sexual relations with boys before time is right,” she said.
She also taught them on menstrual hygiene.
Taking the children through her teachings, Mrs Josephine Gandiya said it was not good to bottle up when abused saying children must always speak out when in discomfort.
“Accept to be counselled even by a neighbour and not say you only listen to your mother. If you see a man trying to play with you in a bad way, inform elders. Do not be ashamed to talk when you are sexually abused speak out. Some will bottle up the abuse until they commit suicide because the load will be too heavy,” she said.
The children were informed of the disadvantages of having sex at a tender age like falling pregnant, dropping out of school and diseases.
The First Lady likened girls to gold, saying: “When I look at you, you are golden. Preserve your virginity and choose your friends wisely.”
One girl asked whether it was good for them to play horseplay with their brothers-in-law to which the First Lady said such acts must be reported.
One of the girls, Tadiwanashe Kapofu (17) ascribed mischief in youths to lack of guidance and counselling.
“Our elders no longer have time with us. We want to thank you Amai for this programme which has taught us a lot,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa made those who attended yesterday’s session ambassadors of her programme so that they will teach others in their communities.
She said through her Angel of Hope Foundation, she was going to teach the girls to make reusable pads and promised to source sewing machines and materials for them so that with the knowledge acquired through the training, they would teach others in the community.
The First Lady and the elderly women took the girls through practical lessons which included preparing sorghum sadza, rice in peanut butter, dried vegetables with peanut butter and dried mushroom.
Boys were taught how to slaughter a goat and other household duties expected of them.
Sekuru Langton Chiza said in the gota they taught boys where morals begin among other important life lessons.
“We spoke strongly against drugs. We told them that drugs are ruining them. The children said their parents had no time to teach them saying they wake up early and leave for work and come back late in the night. So us as the parents we are partly to blame.
“We should be on the look-out and not awaken when the child is already wasted by drugs. This is what we are supposed to do as wardens to know ahead. Most things are taking place under our watch therefore we learnt that we should have time with our children,” he said.
In her remarks, the First Lady said she started the programme in October last year in an effort to find solutions to challenges affecting youths.
“After seeing the way children were behaving, I invited experts so that we impart in them values and norms that will act as their moral compass when they are of age,” she said.
She said yesterday’s programme was good in that it had started at kindergarten level where everything begins.
“I urge you to give these children knowledge like what we passed through so that we give them a good foundation because they are the future of the nation. This is why we want the children to appreciate how precious they are in their communities, in their families and the whole country,” she said.
The First Lady said she was happy that the girls she interacted with were so inquisitive because they had the zeal to learn.
On the issue of drugs, the First Lady said; “If there are mothers whom we know to be doing this, tell us then we sit down with them so that they may not continue doing so. Our children have gone to ruin. Boys and girls of school going age are now smoking and being intoxicated.”
Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko was full of praises for the First Lady’s interventions and spoke candidly against drug abuse, which he said was rife in his town.
“Chitungwiza is a big town and we are blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to host the First Lady. We appreciate that we are Africans and we must ensure that at all costs we must protect our identity. Amai, the foundation you are giving our youths to treasure our traditional values is important,” he said.
“Drugs are now a cause for concern because a generation is being destroyed. I am actually glad when it is mentioned by the mother of the nation that we have this problem. Here in Chitungwiza we are declaring war on drug barons starting from today,” he said.
The elderly who took the children through various lessons walked away with food hampers, courtesy of the First Lady who also donated foodstuffs to crèches.
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