Tendai Rupapa, Harare Bureau
IT was a day of double delight on Friday for representatives of children living in homes, the elderly in old people’s homes, those with disabilities, among many other disadvantaged groups countrywide when First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa afforded them an opportunity to go shopping with her unaware that a major surprise awaited them from NetOne.

Barely a few moments into this first of its kind shopping experience, representatives of the mobile network service provider who were running promotions at Pick n Pay Msasa spotted the First Lady as she moved shoulder-to-shoulder with her group in a relaxed manner picking up what they wanted.

The NetOne crew was awestruck by the First Lady’s simplicity and commitment to easing the plight of the less privileged and offered to add a bulky assortment of groceries in support of her charity work.

Since the mother of the nation was paying with her One Money card, she was told about the NetOne Trolley Dash promotion and together with the beneficiaries they agreed to participate. Amai Mnangagwa, who is the country’s Health Ambassador, said the trolley dash was a good exercise for her and her team thus promoting wellness and health. They were given 10 minutes to run around the shop picking whatever they wanted.

It was a fun-filled afternoon to remember for both the beneficiaries and other shoppers who cheered Amai Mnangagwa on while others clapped hands, whistled and ululated.

The First Lady and her group of beneficiaries picked various groceries and items like irons, pots and stationery for scholars in children’s homes. Other shoppers cheered the First Lady to pick more while others helped her to pick other things stashing them into her trolley.

Not to be outdone was Sekuru Lovemore Murengwa (79) from Bumhudzo Old People’s Home and Gogo Marget Marodza (72) from Society for the Destitute Aged (SODA) who outpaced the youths from children’s homes and filled up their trolleys in 10 minutes.

In her remarks, NetOne board chair Mrs Susan Mutangadura said the network service provider recognised the work being done by the First Lady at a national level and wanted her to continue for the benefit of the nation.

“As NetOne, a people’s network, we have recognised the work that Amai does at a national level. So to support her initiatives we have come up with this donation of a broad spectrum of groceries and supplies to support the people that she works with.

“We know that she works with vulnerable members of the community. On behalf of NetOne, we have been lucky that we bumped into Amai today while she was going about her shopping and we recognised her. She is a mother of the nation who watches over all of us. She is not selective and does not consider distance,” she said.

Mrs Mutangadura said NetOne was a State-owned entity, which had a duty to serve the interests of the people of Zimbabwe.

“We are a State-owned entity, we belong to the nation of Zimbabwe and we have a duty to the nation of Zimbabwe, that is to each and every individual.

Given the nature of work we do, we have seen that there is a convergence of interests where we look at issues like our network works through people and Amai also works with people.

So we decided to partner Angel of Hope Foundation, a foundation that gives a lot of hope to so many people in Zimbabwe. We have given them a gift of groceries which Amai will distribute to her children countrywide,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to NetOne for recognising her work, which seeks to ease the plight of the vulnerable groups.

“I want to thank NetOne wholeheartedly for the groceries. I usually visit these homes countrywide giving them what I would have found. This time I thought of taking them along so that they make their choices and choose what they want. I asked them to come along and pick for themselves.

I want to thank you NetOne because I didn’t know that you check all places to see who is present, with my team we happened to be the lucky winners today. I want to thank you for such a donation. The gift you have extended to me is for different homes and other vulnerable members of our society here in towns and rural areas.

I want to thank you because what you have done will go a long way in assisting those in need. I am happy that those from children’s homes picked school stationery, a sign that they value education. I urge you to learn hard my children. Together with the grannies, I thank you for picking things on behalf of others.

Nothing goes to my home. I ensure that goods reach the intended beneficiaries and I distribute them personally,” she said.

Harare Mayor Councillor Stewart Mutizwa expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her commitment to assisting disadvantaged groups.

“I want to praise the work being done by the First Lady of Zimbabwe. The work she is doing of looking after the less privileged is important and helps the office of the mayor where we hold the Mayor’s Cheer Fund and distribute goods.

“When she mobilises goods to distribute to her children, it makes life easier for us. As a nation, we are thankful for the work that she is doing. We urge her to continue and we also thank her foundation’s partners who are helping her. All other corporates must feel compelled to assist our mother, the First Lady,” he said.

Gogo Marodza was happy to have been part of the shopping, something she said had never seen.

“I have come with Amai to help her select goods that we will use with others at our homes. In my entire life I have never seen something like this, a whole First Lady walking side by side with us doing our shopping with so much ease. Her love and humility is unmatched.

She has always been helping us but today she said anambuya nana sekuru handei munotora zvamunoda. We really enjoyed the trolley dash, it was a good exercise. I also want to thank NetOne,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Sekuru Murengwa: “I have been living at the home for years now but I had never seen this kind of love by our First Lady. I am the only one left in my family. I lost my whole family. Amai is giving us all the love. In my whole life this had never happened and I had never heard of such occurrence. We are the first crop of people to experience this rare shopping with Amai. God bless her.”

Immaculate Chipunza from Upenyu Hukuru Children’s Home and Tinomudaishe Chapanda from Nothcourt Children’s Home were delighted and thanked the First Lady on behalf of other children in homes countrywide.

Chapanda said: “I am in Form 4 and I started staying at the home 10 years ago. I always hear Amai saying on television that we must do away with drugs and focus on education and this is the reason why I was running to pick learning materials. I love education.” – Sunday News