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Tendai Rupapa

Senior Reporter

DISADVANTAGED people countrywide are now assured of decent meals following a new concept under which First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation and its partners, will be providing breakfast and a tonne of maize-meal to specific homes on a monthly rotational basis.

Inspired by the philanthropic works of the First Lady, a local firm Blue Star Logistics, came on board yesterday to give a helping hand to the mother of the nation for the benefit of vulnerable groups.

The First Lady is the country’s health ambassador with a passion for the welfare of the elderly, disabled, women and children, among other vulnerable groups.

A hands-on person, Amai Mnangagwa works so hard to ensure the health and nutritional requirements of every citizen are met.

With the assistance of the company, Angel of Hope Foundation will be providing breakfast every day to homes and other vulnerable groups and donating maize-meal.

Blue Star Logistics chief executive Mr Jecksen Makarichi said his organisation wanted to support the First Lady’s initiative targeted at the needy, and paid tribute to her travels across the country.

“We have seen the First Lady going about the entire country where she is helping the underprivileged, the disadvantaged and we thought that whenever someone is doing something good, we also have to come on board.

“When we look at the people whom she has been helping, these are people who can’t even help themselves so we then thought the best way to help her is to provide breakfast to homes of her choice countrywide on rotational basis for the entire month. So for the logistics we leave that to her because she is the one who is so conversant with helping the needy. We have seen Amai’s work all around the country and we felt that wherever there is something good, we shouldn’t be left behind. You just have to jump onto the train and not to leave Amai to do all the work alone.” 

He further said his firm’s participation in charity had largely been driven by the Ubuntu philosophy.

“In our small way we hope that our efforts will go a long way in improving lives of the less-privileged members of our society by working with the Angel of Hope in its invaluable humanitarian endeavours. By targeting the less privileged in our society we aim to put a smile on their faces,” he said.

Mr Makarichi said in terms of religion, a giving hand was said to account towards one’s chances of salvation in the after-life and encouraged all businesspeople to strive to plough back to the communities in which they operate.

“A generous hand results in personal satisfaction and fulfilment as a result of giving. Our mother has a gift of giving; she shares everything that she gets with those in need. May God bless her abundantly,” he said.

He further said that Blue Star Logistics has for the past five years been involved in social responsibility programmes to ease the plight of the poor.

The First Lady was grateful for the company’s offer and said she was looking forward to it.

“I want to thank you very much for this kind gesture. The type of service that you have brought to me, I have never heard this before. The service is a different one and shows me that my philanthropic work is expanding. I will personally serve breakfast to the children’s homes, homes of the elderly and other vulnerable groups,” she said.

“This is another area that I had never thought of that has come my way and I have to sit down and see how I am going to start with this. As Angel of Hope Foundation, we are grateful,” she said.

The Angel of Hope Foundation’s Patron said her foundation was not selective and well-wishers were free to come with whatever new ideas they had for the benefit of those in need.

“This is going to be liked very much because it has brought the delicacy and delicious food for children and the elderly to be served good breakfast. Some of the people living with disabilities, the children’s homes and the elderly are incapacitated. 

“They cannot do it for themselves hence we have to continue looking after them and I would want to thank you very much Blue Star Logistics for coming aboard,” she said. 

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavima who came with the Blue Star Logistics team, thanked the company for coming on board to complement the work being done by the First Lady countrywide.

“After having seen the magnificent and monumental work that is being done by the First Lady in terms of assisting the vulnerable, in terms of assisting those who are not able to take care of themselves, I saw it fit to approach friends and colleagues who had the capacity to come in and assist the First Lady to carry out her mission. 

“We believe it’s  a mission that was endowed upon her by God to assist those that need help. After talking to my colleagues, Blue Star, they then jumped in and said we know what the first lady is doing, we have seen what she has been doing but she can’t do it alone, she needs help for her to fulfil her vision,” he said. The Minister encouraged other corporates with capacity to join the band wagon and assist the First Lady in carrying out her philanthropic work. 

Amai Mnangagwa has spared no effort in reaching all corners of the country assessing the needs of vulnerable communities and coming up with solutions.