The Sunday Mail
Tendai Rupapa in CHIREDZI
FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa this week took her educative Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme to Chiredzi, Masimbaevanhu village, under Chief Neromwe, as she continued with her mission to mould responsible children in the wake of an unprecedented increase in teen pregnancies, drug abuse and general immorality among youths.
The First Lady said she could not sit idly as the situation deteriorated in the country
This came as elderly women and men poured out on the various challenges they were facing at the hands of their naughty children and grandchildren.
While the First Lady and other women were in the nhanga with the children, boys, too, had life lessons in the gota, being taught by traditional chiefs, their school teachers and other elderly men from the community.
Girls raise hands to contribute their views during the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba Programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, where they were taught about traditional values, culture and norms in Chiredzi
The First Lady’s wish is for the children to become responsible adults in society in the future. She also urged parents to lead exemplary lives, saying they were role models to their children. During the nhanga session, the First Lady’s wise counsel instilled hope for a brighter future as the girls shared stories of determination and responsibility.
“I have seen that our country has been invaded by practices that ruin our children, mainly focusing on drugs, bad dressing, teen pregnancies and dropping out of school. I have had to come so that we teach our children good morals and norms because of the way children are behaving. I have come so that our daughters tell us what it is that they want to achieve because they are embarrassing us, as mothers because of their bad behaviour. We want them to be well-mannered mothers in the future. We are pained as mothers. Are you, grandmothers, still training these children?” she said.
Gogo Christine Mbanyere said girls often present challenges at puberty.
“Our grandchildren present challenges at puberty, when they start developing breasts because they think they have come of age and start having boyfriends. They no longer visit their aunties or grandmothers to present the boyfriend when the time is ripe. They also do not last long in marriages because they would not have been trained in the nhanga. As I speak, I am looking after many grandchildren as their mother is wasting time in bars,” she said.
Ixhiba Programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Chiredzi
Gogo Auxillia Muhlengi said children of nowadays had generally become naughty.
“These children have become naughty and disrespectful. They no longer have respect for the elders. If you advise them to value education, they frown at you and rush for men, resulting in pregnancies, which leads them to drop out of school.
“If she falls pregnant and you fail to notice, she can give birth or abort silently. On my way to a bus station one day, I heard a child crying in the bush and on rushing to investigate with other women, we found a newborn child in a plastic filled with ants. We rescued the child and took it to the clinic and the child survived. The girl who did this was in Form Three. She was caught as she oozed milk at school. Why would you have slept with the boys? We are pained when we visit clinics and are made to sit on benches for a long time, as those whose children are doctors and nurses will be served in no time. On the other hand, our children would have barely reached Grade Seven due to being naughty. Please, give us dignity in society so that we are proud of you when you become doctors. Thank you, Amai, for this programme. We shall rescue other children through it,” she said.
The First Lady expressed hope that the children had taken to heart the concerns raised by the elderly women.
“We have all heard the concerns by the grandmothers. This is bad and if there is anyone doing this, please put an end to it. What is it that you aspire to do in life?” she asked.
One girl said she wanted to pursue her education and have a bright future.
“I look forward to working hard and have a bright future and build my parents a modern house, provide them with good food and make sure they drink tea and bread every day, not to wait for funerals in communities and be given tea. I do not want my parents to see good things only in other people’s homes,” she said.
This dovetailed with the views of her colleague who said the time to lay the foundation was now.
“We should start by behaving well now and shun bad friends and peer pressure which forces us to do bad things,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa concurred.
“My daughters, we say no to peer pressure, say no to peer pressure, say no to drugs. Let us remain focused. Be the police of your body, look after yourselves. I am glad you all have a vision and focus. Our grandmothers said they want to be looked after in future, but how will you look after them when you are always drunk? Your parents are sacrificing a lot to send you to school yet you are blowing away the opportunity. As mothers we are getting hypertension because of you. If we die, will you sustain the home? Feel free to talk because we have come for you,” she said.
Gogo Evelyn Madzivanyika implored the children to be well-behaved at all times.
“My daughters you are the parents of the future, but what kind of mothers will you be? You go to school with clothes in the bag and change in the bushes to while away time at shops, for what. Education is key my children. Value your education so that you succeed,” she said.
The First Lady asked whether the children were performing household chores and they said they folded their blankets after waking up, swept the yard, house, lit the fire, prepared porridge before leaving for school.
She praised them for performing household chores.
A young girl voiced concern over parents who did not buy children sanitary pads.
“Some parents do not buy us what we want as girls like pads and tell us to source them on our own. How do they expect me to buy pads when I am only a schoolgirl? This forces me to have a boyfriend who will buy me pads in exchange for something. Will I then refuse to sleep with him when I need his help?” she asked.
Touched by this, Dr Mnangagwa gave the children reusable pads and promised to give them sewing machines and material to sew reusable pads.
She instructed the area’s legislator to come and collect the sewing machines and all accessories at her office.
Gogo Muhlengi expressed hope that the children had grasped what they had been taught.
“Today I hope you have learnt a lot and grasped it. If it were possible, I would go back to my teenage years and focus on education to become a pilot. Where I stay, I am known for disciplining anyone I see misbehaving. They know one cannot pass through my house when not dressed properly,” she said.
She drew laughter when she mentioned her name and the First Lady said they shared the same name and had similar goals.
Christopher Muresi who was in the gota sang praises to the First Lady for her commitment to promoting good morals.
“I thank the First Lady for making elders teach us about the Gota, which barred us from sexual relations drugs while still in school. Boys are taking salt and pampers making drugs which is wrong. We learnt that the elders are laying a firm foundation for us,” he said.
Mr Clemence Madzingo, who is Chief Neromwe, said he was grateful for the First Lady’s visit.
“Her presence has blessed our community. Secondly, her Gota/Nhanga programme is helpful. This is a part of tradition we had almost left behind. Our girls and boys are learning a lot through the programme and do not rush for marriage. Children have learnt that they should not misbehave and go about fomenting violence in the community while under the influence of drugs. Drugs are killing our people and we want to thank the First Lady for leading from the front,” he said.
Learnmore Chinherende said he will forever thank the First Lady for bringing back our culture.
“We have learnt that we should not rush into marriages and marry someone we would have studied so that we do not regret after marriage. We learnt that courtship period is important. In our area we also shun drugs, which cause health complications and lead to violence in the communities,” he said.
Addressing the community, the First Lady said the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba concept has been around since time immemorial but people had abandoned it.
“Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba has been there since time immemorial. We were caught off guard but today drugs have come to ruin our children. We have come to mould a well-mannered child so that we are not embarrassed. We have lost dignity because of your loss of morals. We want respect as mothers, but for this to happen we need to assume our rightful positions. Some women are selling drugs to children. Some are dressing improperly and what will our children learn from this? Let us go back to our tradition,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa called a boy and girl so that they disclosed what they had learnt.
Shelter Muwandiri represented the girls while Learnmore Munherende represented the boys.
They narrated what they had learnt and took time to educate their peers who were not in the Gota and Nhanga.
The First Lady invited Gogo Auxillia Muhleli to explain what she was teaching the children in the Nhanga for the benefit of those who did not attend the session.
Amai Mnangagwa implored the children to embrace all they had learnt.
The children and their teachers received food hampers and toiletries from the First Lady.
In addition, the children who were made ambassadors were given school stationery and certificates.
