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Tendai Rupapa in Tsholotsho

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is passionate about women empowerment and development of communities, yesterday visited Ward 1 here where she capacitated empowerment projects being undertaken by elderly women.

On Tuesday, she was in Binga where she officially opened ZUBO Women’s Centre.

In Tsholotsho, she assisted in the success of self-help projects that include soap-making, candle-making, juice making, baking, handbags and detergents making, among others.

The projects being done by elderly women were on a small-scale, but following the intervention of the First Lady, they are now being done on a larger scale.

The First Lady also introduced a caster bean and sesame seed project which will be done in a community nutrition garden.

A community hall will also be constructed in the same ward and Angel of Hope Foundation will bring experts who will train people on various skills.

Addressing the gathering at Sihazela Primary School after touring the projects sites, Amai Mnangagwa reiterated that her foundation’s main focus was on women empowerment, upliftment of marginalised communities and assisting orphans and disadvantaged members of the society.

“I was touched by the dedication of the elderly in running viable empowerment projects despite their age and decided to come here to support the initiative,” she said.

“As a mother and patron of Angel of Hope Foundation, my heart is satisfied when we do these great projects which not only empower women, but also promote nutrition and livelihoods for the whole community.

“This community met all the criteria of a target group that we work with, therefore, we partnered with a local organisation — Orphans Friends and Community Development Trust — and our partnership has been very impactful.

“Your passion and hard work as a community of Tsholotsho Ward 1 inspires us to do more projects and continue to work with other communities similar to yours.”

The First Lady said land clearing for the community nutrition garden that she introduced in the area was underway, adding that her charity foundation would further assist with the drilling of a borehole for the garden.

She said her organisation partnered the Women’s Bank on the caster bean project, which she said would be an income-generating project for the community.

The First Lady handed over sesame seeds to be planted in the nutrition garden and revealed that Angel of Hope had already identified an international market for the edible seeds.

“We have started clearing a field for the nutrition garden and we have also provided sesame seeds to be planted in that five-hectare field together with caster bean,” she said.

“We have already identified an international market for the sesame seeds. We are also installing a borehole on the site so that the community will have a reliable clean source of water. The foundation will also fence the garden.

“Angel of Hope Foundation is also going to upgrade the traditional oven the women were using in their bread, scones and bun making so that they produce at a larger scale.”

The foundation also purchased soap-making trays and provided additional capital for the sustainability of the project.

Founder of Orphans Friends and Community Development Trust Ms Siqinisweyinkosi Mhlanga thanked the First Lady for her love and support, adding that the projects Amai Mnangagwa introduced would go a long way in assisting the people of Tsholotsho Ward 1.

“The First Lady, through her organisation, has been assisting this community, especially women in various ways for its development and for that we are so grateful,” she said.

“With Amai taking the lead in the empowerment of women, surely the lives of many women in the country will never be the same again.”

The First Lady donated an assortment of goods that included clothing, educational material for school children and toys.

As Zimbabwe Ambassador for the United States-based organisation, Days for Girls, Amai Mnangagwa also donated reusable sanitary kits to underprivileged girls in a bid to promote menstrual hygiene.

Mfizewenkosi Sibanda (70) and Eveline Mlalazi (72), who are part of the groups embarking on the projects, hailed the First Lady for her support and said now that they have been capacitated, they will continue working harder for the benefit of their families and community.