First Lady hosts first Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session at Heritage Village

Tendai Rupapa

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa on Sunday held the first-ever educative Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba Programme at the newly-constructed Heritage Village in Harare, which attracted hundreds of children, ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe and other foreign delegates who attended the 44th Sadc summit of heads of State and Government.

The delegates also took part in teaching the children. The set-up of the heritage village gave learners, drawn from different schools around Harare, a peek into the rich African cultural heritage.

In the Nhanga, with the girls was Amai Mnangagwa, Eswatini Princess Lindiwe Mswati, Mrs Grace Neo Likando who was representing the wife of the Zambian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi, chiefs’ wives and elderly women drawn from communities.

Ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe, traditional leaders and community elders taught boys both practical and theory lessons mudare.

The Heritage Village boasts two huts, one for Ndebele culture and another one for the Shona culture and Minister Nyoni and other elderly women taught the children the Ndebele culture, while Amai Mnangagwa and other ministers took them through what is expected of the girl child in the Shona culture.

The Heritage Village focuses on culture, heritage, the country’s history and on who we are as a people of Zimbabwe.

Amai Mnangagwa is on record urging the nation, especially school children, to take advantage of the Heritage Village, to get a deeper understanding of the country’s history and appreciate its food and culture.

During the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba yesterday, there were various chores which were carried by both boys and girls.

Some of the activities included grinding on stone, pounding and preparing traditional dishes.

Amai Mnangagwa told the girls to listen attentively to the teachings and ask questions where necessary.

“Today is the first time to hold the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session here at the Heritage Village. I have come with other mothers and grandmothers to discuss this with you. I want us to discuss everything and one should not feel ashamed to speak and if you keep quiet, we immediately note the naughtiness you are engaging in.

“We are your mothers, and grandmothers and are here for you. You are your mother’s child in the womb but once born, you belong to everyone and it takes a village to raise a child. Your biological mother played her part in bringing you onto Planet Earth and we are here to secure a bright future for you through these teachings of life.

“Knowledge is power. If you are knowledgeable, you never get lost. When we are done today, you will be the First Lady’s ambassadors and spread the word about what you would have learnt here at school and in the communities in which you live. As the youths, the future lies in your hands. Madzimai, let us teach our children, this is the time,” Dr Mnangagwa said.

Gogo Erina Rafumoyo spoke of the need for decent dressing.

“You see our daughters nowadays sweeping the yard, while donning skimpy dresses which end where they start, exposing their bodies before their fathers and grandfathers. Where do you want them to look? Our mother the First Lady is so loving and that is why she is traversing the length and breadth of the country teaching you because she wants you to grow up morally upright. Once you start developing breasts do not think you have come of age and start having boyfriends.

“We never did that as we grew up because we treasured our bodies. What is it that will be in your phones because even as we will be sleeping, you will be giggling while on your phone? Be dignified, value your education, treasure your virginity so that you are married well and please your parents in the future,” she said.

Mbuya Tumbare taught the children what was expected of them and what they were supposed to do when they woke up every day.

“As a girl when you wake up you spread your bed and proceed to take a bath. From there, you kneel before your parents asking how they slept. Once done, you then start performing household chores,” she said, as she urged girls to maintain good hygienic practices.

Minister Munzverengwi implored the children to treasure the teachings they were getting.

“Let us be grateful for this day and the privilege accorded to you by the First Lady to learn constructive things. Our mother wants you as a girl child to know who you are and this goes beyond your name, and she wants you to know that you are precious and that your bodies are the temple of the Lord.

“Amai is going around the country encouraging children to value education saying your career is your first husband. Create names for yourselves like doctor so and so. Men want to marry productive women. Today we are here at the Heritage Village which is a place where we learn our culture, norms and values. Amai is encouraging us to keep coming here in large numbers to be taught constructive things and good norms as Zimbabweans,” she said. The First Lady hammered on the importance of treasuring education as she also underscored the importance of valuing virginity.

“When boys flock to you, never think you are hot. The boys will be telling one another that you are loose and they can bed you easily. Are you behaving well? Are you being responsible or you are playing with boys?” she asked.

The girls responded by saying they were well-behaved and burst into the song “Touch touch, don’t touch apa pangu, don’t touch.”

Dr Mnangagwa weighed in saying she was pleased the children were well-behaved and advised them to “close and lock” until the time was right.

She also talked with the girls about menstrual and personal hygiene.

Minister Nyoni said: “I come from Matabeleland North and as Zimbabweans, we are one people. What is being said here by Amai and other women, is the same teachings in Matabeleland. Ubuntu applies to all of us. We are grateful for the First Lady’s programme which is teaching all children from across the country’s 10 provinces.”

Eswatini’s Princess Lindiwe said the girls were lucky to have a First Lady who cared for them.

“You girls are lucky that you have Amai who cares about you. Some have no one to educate them. It is indeed important to stay away from men before the time is right. This will divert your destiny and take away your independence. To help yourself, stay away from men, they know how to play with your mind and they will mess up your life and destroy your future.

“Also, social media is killing young girls. There is so much happening on social media that can harm you. Be good girls and have a bright future and you can achieve this by valuing your education. Work hard in school, stay focused and know what’s important for you as a child. Strive to have a better future. Stay away from friends who lead you astray, say no to peer pressure, and say no to alcohol and drugs. Don’t get messed up. Focus on your future, go to church, fear God and pray for your future,” she said.

Mrs Likando, the Zambian representative, sought to know why women put on waist wrappers, which are popularly known as Zambia.

In response, the girls said they do so to cover their bodies.

She said women’s bodies needed to be covered at all times.

“A woman’s body is supposed to be covered and preserved. You must protect your body and not let men touch your body parts. Have a voice and the ability to say no. Have somebody you can talk to when you are abused, be it a relative if they abuse you, speak up and speak out. It is okay not to be a celebrity at school because there are girls who are known for the wrong reasons at school but know your reasons for being in school. If you see the naughty ones in a meeting, walk away,” she said.

“The future is bright and the future is female. There are opportunities ahead of you. Be proud of who you are and even your complexion, be proud to say no to bleaching. Preserve your body, preserve yourself. Which side of life do you want to be involved in? I say to you, choose the right side. Do not become mothers at young ages. Say no and mean it. Be courageous and strong. Thank you, Amai, for this programme teaching children about the right choices. Girls take to heart all you are being taught,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said she often hears girls talking about broken hearts and sought to know who and what causes heartbreaks, asking where broken hearts go.

In response, one of the girls said: “True Amai, there are broken hearts and these are caused mainly by boys. We fall in love at school and the boy then starts dating even your close friend. If that happens, our hearts will be broken and this causes even depression making our concentration in class low and this affects our grades.”

The First Lady implored the children to stop engaging in love affairs and wait until the time is ripe.

“My daughters stop falling in love before the time is ripe. Some mothers now have hypertension because of naughty children. Your parents suffer for you selling chickens and goats to keep you in school. However, when you get there, you start chasing after two rabbits, education and the boyfriend. Can you achieve anything,” she said.

In the Gota, boys were taught numerous things as well as the need to be respectful.

Mr Josiah Nyapfumbi shared some of the lessons they had in the Gota.

“We are here in the Gota which is a programme that was started by the First Lady to ensure we return to our culture. We taught the boys a lot as we discussed at the court how a boy grows, is supposed to live and his coming of age. We also taught them the chores they are supposed to undertake at home,” he said.

Phillip Karonga (18) shared some of the things that he learnt.

“We have learnt a myriad of things mudare. We have been taught about our culture so that we know and continue practising how things were done in the olden days. We have also been taught about drugs and that as children we must not take drugs because they affect our lives.

“If we start taking drugs at a young age, our lives will be cut short and we will not be able to realise our dreams because drugs end all dreams. We have been taught to respect girls as our sisters. We must see girls as our sisters and we must not have anything to do with women at a tender age.

“We must lay a foundation through education and what we will have accomplished in our lives then we start dating as time goes on. If we start dating at tender ages, we end up engaging in early child marriages and teen pregnancies. Once we rush into those things we ruin the lives of girls and ours too. This will also contribute to an increase in school dropouts,” he said.

Evidence Musvaire from Hatcliffe Extension said he had learnt to make axes.

He explained the traditional way of moulding rods which is used in making axes.

The First Lady later addressed a combined session for boys and girls, emphasising the need for children to stay away from drugs and concentrate on their education.

In an interview, Princess Lindiwe said Dr Mnangagwa was doing a wonderful job for the children of Zimbabwe and deserved special commendation for her efforts.

“I think she loves her country so much that she is doing what she is doing. I was very impressed and it’s quite a wonderful thing to groom children at a younger age and show them the way of life, show them the culture and how to take care of themselves. It is very important and it’s very helpful for the boy child and the girl child to know how to keep themselves so that they become better future leaders. Amai is doing an amazing job and I give her a round of applause for what she is doing,” she said.

The princess said her nation used to have a similar programme years ago, but it was fading away and no longer as impactful as it was a long time ago.

“There is a reed dance in Eswatini where all the girls come together to pay homage to the queen mother by doing that, they have to go there every year and they have to be virgins to attend. So that is how we keep our girls,” she said.

Ghanaian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Alexander Grant Ntrakwa praised the First Lady for bringing up youths the African way.

“Today, I have relived that we have a lot as a continent and it amazes me that Amai is bringing back that practise of grooming our youths. It reminded me of how I grew up and the discipline that I went through and I look back and say it looks like the modern generation is losing the traditional values Africa is endowed with.

“We sat them down and made them aware of how important it is for them to sit under the feet of the elderly, understand how life is, and inculcate in them the discipline of being an adult. Not rushing in life, but being patient going through the mill to build themselves as the future leaders of the continent,” he said.

Ambassador Ntrakwa said they told the boys about the need to endure certain difficult situations and challenge themselves so that they will make it in life.

“I do recall telling them that above all, after going through all the disciplines, what matters for them is to remain patriotic to their country. Patriotism and nationalism are what we are missing and I reminded them of the first stanza of the national anthem of Zimbabwe which says ‘Lift high the banner, the flag of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mrs Likando commended the First Lady for her initiative to train the children.

“In Africa, we say a child is raised by the whole village so an initiative such as this one is commendable because our children need identity as African children.

“They need us who have grown ahead of them to mentor them and it’s a different kind of mentorship because you are getting it from someone at a higher office, the First Lady. It gives them assurance and a lot of hope. I am very proud I have represented my country today to be at a space in a very African set-up talking to young girls, mentoring them about becoming better human beings and also the future leaders of our continent and our great nations,” she said. – Herald