Angel of Hope takes schools’ feeding programme to Mash Central

Tendai Rupapa

Angel of Hope Foundation patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday took her schools feeding Programme to Mashonaland Central province where African diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe joined her in preparing and serving the learners a nourishing meal.

The ambassadors then donated sanitary wear to school girls from various schools to ensure they did not abscond from classes during their monthly cycles.

The ambassadors said they were inspired by the First Lady’s works, hence their commitment to be part of the programme and efforts to mobilise reusable and disposable sanitary pads.

Ambassadors and representatives who attended the event included Rwandan Ambassador to Zimbabwe James Musoni, who is the dean of the diplomatic corps, Sudanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Thomas Vigilio Jada Morbe, Ambassador of Egypt Mrs Salwa Mowafi, Mr Rashid Mohammed Abdulwahid Ethiopian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Mohammed Seoudi Ambassador of Algeria, Kenya’s Deputy Ambassador Justine Ikumiru, Mrs Banabotlhe Mello Minister Counsellor Botswana Embassy, Mr Kenneth Moeng Counsellor Political Botswana Embassy, Mozambique 3rd secretary Mrs Cremilde Uachisso and Mrs Zemha Gawachas, the Deputy Ambassador of Namibia.

The meals served to the learners comprised sadza, rice, sugar beans, cabbage, beef, sorghum sadza, and dried and fresh green vegetables.

Dr Mnangagwa interacted with the learners as they ate their well-cooked meal, showing delight and finishing their portions.

She also interacted with school children, warning them against drugs, love affairs, sexual relationships, and teen pregnancies.

Before giving her remarks, the First Lady started by introducing the diplomats to the people.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe must break barriers that hold girls back and empower them to reach their full potential.

She said menstruation was a natural part of life that should never hold anyone back.

“Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to our very important guests whom I have come with. Please join me in welcoming our dear friends, the ambassadors of the African group who have made this day possible.

“I am honoured to be part of this special occasion where we gather to support and empower our young girls.

“Today we are taking a significant step towards ensuring that our children stay in school confident and focused on their education. Your Excellencies, I stand before you today with immense gratitude and appreciation for the generous donation of sanitary pads that we shall hand over to our young girls after the national schools feeding programme, which we did this morning.

“The gesture is a testament to the compassion and commitment of the African group of ambassadors to the well-being and empowerment of the girl child. Let me give a special mention of Her Excellency Stella Munyi, the former ambassador of Kenya, and her team of female African ambassadors who contributed this brilliant initiative.

Let us give them a big round of applause because as children you have been remembered by our ambassadors,” she said.

The donation, Dr Mnangagwa said, had come at an opportune moment as the nation continues women’s month celebrations in recognition of contributions that women have and continue to make for the good of the society.

“On 8 March in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwean women also celebrated International Women’s Day. Your Excellencies and distinguished guests, Zimbabwe has made commendable progress in upholding the human rights of women and girls as a signatory to international treaties and conventions. Zimbabwe’s commitment to advancing the women’s agenda has been strong. In partnership with the United Nations, we continue to focus on advancing Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 under the United Nations Sustainable Development cooperation framework 2022 to 2026,” she said.

The mother of the nation shared insights into challenges faced by girls in pursuit of their education.

“ As we gather here, I am reminded of the countless challenges that our girls face in their pursuit of education. Menstrual hygiene is a critical issue not only for their health, but also their dignity and self-esteem. In some cases, it results in absenteeism and school dropouts. Your donation, Your Excellencies, is therefore a significant step towards addressing these challenges and ensuring that our girls can attend school with confidence and pride. I launched the reusable pads programme as a means to offer both economic empowerment and sanitary comfort to our girls. Most of them who benefited from this initiative also learnt how to sew their own reusable pads,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa praised the ambassadors for their benevolence.

“To the African group of ambassadors, I would like to extend my profound gratitude for choosing to partner with me in this journey of assisting children, in particular the girl child. To the students, I want to tell you that you are capable, strong and deserving of every opportunity. Remember, menstruation is a natural part of life and should never hold you back, remember that education is the key to unlocking your dreams.

“I have no doubt that you will make the most of this opportunity and many others that are presented to you. Let us continue to work together to create a world where every girl has access to quality education, healthcare and opportunities. Let us break down the barriers that hold our girls back and empower them to reach their full potential. Thank you to our donors, teachers and everyone who has made this possible. Together we can make a difference,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa implored the children to make informed choices when selecting their career paths.

“My children, make sure you know what you want to be career wise. I learnt at Kakora and those of you who are of age, know how I grew up. We were orphaned but I focused on education. Tell yourself that I need to have a professional name. There are many professions needing people, yet you focus on pregnancy. Parents here are marrying off children at tender ages. Statistics show Mashonaland Central is number one when it comes to child marriages. We do not want to hide behind religion and traditionalism by appeasing avenging spirits with our children. Let the children grow and make their own choices. You learners stay away from drugs. I hear some women are baking cakes laced with drugs just because of the love of money. In the process, you are destroying somebody’s child. It’s destroying their critical body parts.

“Vabereki, do not drive your children into prostitution. Some parents ask children what they have brought from school? This is the time to choose who you want to be in the future. This is the time to choose subjects that suit your dreams. Let us look after these children together,” she said.

“I want a daughter-in-law who is loving. I want someone humble who accepts corrections and also corrects me when in the wrong,” said a contributor.

Daughters-in-law also said they wanted in-laws who were constructive.

“A daughter-in-law must be treated as a child and with love. I do not want a mother-in-law who rules in my house. Some mothers-in-law act as though they have slanging matches with the daughters-in-law,” she said.

The First Lady urged families to love one another and live in peace and harmony.

She donated food hampers to the elderly, maize meal, and sugar beans to the community.

Expecting mothers were also given baby preparation kits.

Ambassador Musoni, said he was inspired by Dr Mnangagwa’s work.

“As the African Group of Ambassadors, we came together. This is not the first time to associated with the First Lady’s programme because firstly, Her Excellency the First Lady is spearheading programmes that touch the lives of the people. As Africans, we feel very inspired. We feel we should be close to supporting her efforts. The ambassadors who are here have been actively involved in the serving of food to the young ones.

“We commend the First Lady of Zimbabwe for this very good initiative to have the school feeding, thus complementing the Government’s efforts. The First Lady is promoting the well-being of the people of Zimbabwe, especially the young ones. Also, what we witnessed here is that the First Lady goes to the people. She is in touch with ordinary people. We feel inspired, and we are very much willing to keep working with her in her programme,” he said.

Ambassador Mowafi praised the First Lady for the work that she is doing countrywide and efforts to empower the girl child.

“This is my first time in Mashonaland Central Province. It’s something I give thanks to the First Lady, Her Excellency, for giving us this opportunity. If I talk of the work of the First Lady, you can see it everywhere, all over the country, and it’s noticeable not only in Zimbabwe but all over Africa. I am here to present the donation presented by African ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe. It consists of sanitary wear and it’s a token of solidarity and gratitude for Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe who are our brothers and sisters. The efforts being done by the First Lady are so much appreciated because girls and children are the future of Africa, so we are taking care of the assets of the next generation. The efforts of the First Lady are not for the present time but for the future and this leaves a good legacy,” she said.

Ambassador Abdulwahid described the First Lady’s work as inspiring as it was essential to ensure learners were well-fed to realise their full potential.

“This is important work and we are complementing the First Lady’s work in trying to address some of the challenges that we have because everywhere you go, students have the same kind of problems and the First Lady is going an extra mile to make sure that the kids are well-fed before going to school that is why we came here and we support her initiative and we have done a lot of work with her. We will support the First Lady in her endeavours because we, diplomats are human beings and we live in communities so we contribute our fair share and make sure that the young generation get a chance to be well-fed and attend school,” he said.

Ambassador Morbe said he was touched by the First Lady’s hard work and efforts to ease the plight of vulnerable communities. He said he was always willing to complement her efforts.

“It has been a good pleasure for us to attend the activities that the First Lady is always doing. We have been engaged with the First Lady and she is always open to us. And as African ambassadors, we feel we are in the second home of our country. So we are not in a foreign land; we are in our second home. That’s why any activity that is needed, whether from the First Lady or from the President, or from wherever we are here, we are ready. And that’s why we go anywhere. We are ready to support Amai by all means possible,” he said.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo praised the First Lady for her interventions.

“We gather here today to witness the handover of sanitary wear. We are ready for any needed activity, whether from the First Lady or the President, or wherever. We are here and support for the home-grown school feeding programme by Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa. I want to express my sincere gratitude for this opportunity to share vital knowledge as we celebrate the noble initiative that enhances health services for our learners. It is our Government’s mandate to improve the quality of education for all Zimbabweans by providing access to good health and quality education in alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063 and sustainable development goals.

“The Zimbabwe School Health Policy plays a crucial role in the continental education strategy addressing the health and nutrition needs essential for quality education. The Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training of 1999 recommended strategies to enhance the adequate health and education support that is accessible in all institutions. It emphasises the importance of creating a supportive environment that includes access to health information in schools to promote overall well-being. Your Excellency, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is committed to delivering inclusive, quality and equitable education to all learners. Through its heritage-based curriculum, the Ministry empowers students with knowledge and skills on health-related topics such as nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and the implementation of the school-feeding programme,” he said.

One of his ministry’s key learning outcomes, Minister Moyo said, was ensuring access to education and providing sanitary wear to disadvantaged female learners in upper primary and secondary schools.

“In this noble endeavour, Her Excellency the First Lady, Dr A. Mnangagwa has been a beacon of hope and support. Her philanthropic efforts truly exemplify her role as the mother of the nation. The provision of sanitary wear under her leadership does more than enhance personal hygiene. It significantly impacts retention pass rates, and completion rates while effectively reducing school dropouts. This remarkable initiative empowers female learners to manage their menstrual hygiene in culturally accepted and health-safe ways, fostering an environment where they can thrive academically and personally. Through her unwavering commitment, Dr Mnangagwa not only uplifts individual lives but also enriches our society, demonstrating her dedication to the well-being of our children and the future of the nation,” he said. – Herald