First Lady gives hope to youths in communities

Tendai Rupapa in Mat South

TURNING hopelessness into success seems to be First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s latest quest, as she drives the search for practical solutions to challenges affecting youths.

Through her “Dzidziso yaAmai munhanga/mugota/Ixiba yevachirikuyaruka” programme, she left traditional leaders and elders in Matabeleland South yesterday believing a solution to wayward behaviour in most youths today is possible.

Through the programme, the First Lady is spearheading efforts to fight teenage pregnancies, immorality, drug abuse and disrespectfulness, among other vices.

In interviews at Chief Nhlamba (Mr Dennis Ndlovu)’s homestead, which is 50 kilometres from Gwanda, where yesterday’s programme was held, traditional leaders and elders agreed that the First Lady’s intervention would provide practical solutions to the challenges.

So elated with the programme were they that they promised to continue providing lessons for girls and boys to ensure they grow up morally upright.

In the Nhanga to train girls, the First Lady was with Mrs Nonhlahla Sibanda, who is Chief Ndube of Insiza; the host chief’s wife Mrs Thatho Ndlovu; elderly women from the community; Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Deputy Minister Ruth Mavhungu-Maboyi; and provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Mrs Merjury Sikundla.

Boys were taken through their teachings in the Dare by chiefs, headmen and elderly men.

Chief Nhlamba described the First Lady’s programme as both educative and empowering.

“I thank the First Lady for coming here because we now feel invigorated. What she has taught us as leaders is very important. She has opened our eyes and taught us as elders the need to play our traditional roles of imparting wisdom in youths, while also teaching them the dos and don’ts of life.

“Our children these days are naughty and that is no lie. They must stop mischief, and we have faith in Amai’s programme that it will foster morality. We shall carry forward these teachings in our communities and mould boys and girls who are morally upright,” he said.

Chief Ndube said she will be taking advantage of a cultural centre in her area to teach young boys and girls good morals.

The First Lady’s teachings, she added, were appropriate, especially for her gold-rich area of Insiza Filabusi, where young girls are being lured by gold panners.

“We have come here to Gwanda for the First Lady’s programme to teach our boys and girls temperance because life has changed. Some of the things they do now are shameful. Some are not completing their education because of mischief. As chiefs, we are so happy for the programme and I will take it back to my area of jurisdiction to teach youths. I will sit down with the elderly and headmen spouses and come up with ways to implement this programme for the benefit of youths in my area and the country at large,” she said.

“We have a culture centre where we shall be doing these discussions. With the behaviour being exhibited by our children these days, for sure Amai’s programme could not have come at any better time. We have to go back to our traditional teachings through nhanga/gota/ixiba.

“There is gold in my area and the problem is serious with young children being impregnated. There is so much moral decay and we did not know what to do with these children but Amai has opened our eyes and paved the way for us,” she said.

Gogo Rhoda Nyoni, who was also among the elderly who were teaching the girls, said the First Lady’s programme could not have come at a better time than now when juvenile delinquency is rampant.

“This programme has made us so happy. Children had gone out of hand and were dropping out of school while some were falling pregnant due to the Covid-19 lockdown. We hope our children will stop wayward behaviour because of what we have taught them here,” she said with optimism.

Another elderly woman from the community said the First Lady’s noble initiative to revive the respect for tradition is commendable.

She said all her programmes were tailor-made to build a brighter future for the country.

“Our First Lady came up with the programme in a bid to make sure that culture is revived in our country. The culture was going down the drain because of Western influences but Amai said it is not too late to mould these youths who are the future leaders. Now that the First Lady started this programme, we are going to build up that culture we grew up knowing.”

Mrs Sikundla described the First Lady’s intervention as a stitch in time and promised to carry forward the teachings through her ministry for the benefit of the nation.

Addressing guests, the First Lady said children’s issues were close to her heart.

“What has brought me here is that our children are no longer morally upright as they are taking alien cultures and discarding our own. Our children’s behaviour is now questionable. Today we have thousands of children who dropped out of school because of pregnancy. We may ascribe this to the Covid-19 pandemic, but if we analyse that the whole world also had lockdowns, as a mother I concluded that this is due to lack of morals. Even though we had lockdown, this cannot be a cover because morals are the first thing to be respected,” she said.

The First Lady said though children who fell pregnant in school could continue with their education after giving birth, their level of concentration and intellectual capacity would be compromised.

“Boys and girls are now smoking and taking intoxicating substances. Boys are now wearing more than four pairs of trousers at once while girls are moving around wearing short, skimpy dresses. We are being shamed by this as mothers,” she said to applause from the guests.

“As mothers, we have seen that we have been shamed and it is now no longer bearable. The image of a girl-child is the image of her mother. That is the image of the grandmother, so I had to come here because these issues which were widespread in towns are now also getting in the rural areas.”

She implored girls not to be swayed by the perceived appeal of other cultures which were alien to Zimbabwe.

Amai Mnangagwa said boys should equally be responsible and not always think it was incumbent upon girls to be responsible.

“Early sexual relationships bring a lot of challenges like diseases and unwanted pregnancies, which have forced many girls out of school. If you started doing such mischief, even at home you will not be found.”

She added: “We want our children to have good morals and be good mothers and fathers in the future. We did not teach you these things so that you elope, no. This is not for you to be married at young ages. We are teaching you morals and we want you to excel in school. If you combine these, you will be a wholesome child we want in our country, Zimbabwe,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa said both boys and girls who went through the teachings were now ambassadors of the programme and had to share what they learnt with their peers in schools and communities.

In his address, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Abednico Ncube said the First Lady’s programme showed great commitment to develop the country.

“Allow me to extend my profound gratitude to you amai for your unwavering support and commitment to the development of our communities.

“With your busy schedule, it is unquestionably an effort that shows your commitment and devotion to the rebuilding of the moral fibre of our society by redirecting us to seek the old golden ways of our forefathers through this Ixiba programme,” he said.

Amai Mnangagwa donated an assortment of foodstuffs and toiletries to the community, while the children who participated also received food hampers and school materials.

Yesterday’s programme was held in strict observance to Covid-19 prevention measures of masking up, sanitising and maintaining social distance.