Zimpapers Logo

Tendai Rupapa–Senior Reporter 

PORTUGAL Farm in Seke, Mashonaland East Province, was yesterday a hive of activity as First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa joined forces with dozens of widows, former ladies of the night and those with disabilities in harvesting various crops grown through her assistance.

They got eight tonnes of maize, sacks of cowpeas, sorghum, millet, buckets of groundnuts and sweet potatoes.

Beneficiaries of the programme will retain part of the harvest for consumption and sell the surplus to the Grain Marketing Board while proceeds of the sale will be committed towards planned projects that include horticulture.

Plans are in place to ensure that an irrigation system is set up for maximum productivity.

Traditional leaders from Mashonaland East attended the event and participated in the activities.

This comes amid reports that the success of the First Lady’s programme had seen many people seeking to join in.

The farm was sourced with the assistance of the First Lady through the official channels for the benefit of vulnerable members of the community as part of her multi-pronged empowerment initiative to earn a decent living through the use of their hands.

As they harvested the crops, Dr Mnangagwa launched the Pfumvudza concept by digging holes in preparation for next season and handed over farming inputs.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa launches the Pfumvudza concept at Portugal Farm which she sourced for widows, former ladies of the night and those living with disabilities in Seke yesterday.

Known for her hands-on approach, the First Lady actively participated in shelling maize, harvesting sweet potatoes and threshing sorghum and millet.

Speaking at the occasion, the First Lady paid tribute to the hard work deployed by beneficiaries at the farm as she encouraged them to continue working hard.

“These women are behind the work we have come here for. I am glad they showed interest and zeal to start a new life. I was gratified to see their harvest and I want to thank the Minister of State for the work she did here.” 

The First Lady also hailed all the Angel of Hope Foundation’s partners who made the project a success. 

She further thanked the wife of Chief Seke Mrs Naume Chimanikire for playing an active role from the start of the programme.

“The ladies we started working with did not run away and even today they are still here. I am happy that the community also helped us even in weeding, we worked together as a family. Let us continue using our hands. Let us also teach our children to work so that they stay away from mischief. We are now all farmers. The harvest we got shows that people worked hard and our extension officers did not forsake us. In the forthcoming season we look forward to greater things that is why we started the Pfumvudza concept. The Ministry of Lands will be pleased by this programme because they were with us from the start alongside my Angel of Hope Foundation,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa encouraged the beneficiaries to continue working hard to achieve more success.

She also held an interactive session with the beneficiaries as she sought their views on the success they had achieved and what they intended to do with the harvest.

“All those who ploughed here, what do you say about our harvest?”

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and Minister of State and Devolution for Mashonaland East Aplonia Munzverengwi are shown some of the harvested crops such as rapoko, groundnuts, sorghum, millet and sweet potatoes at Portugal Farm which she sourced for widows, former ladies of the night and those living with disabilities in Seke yesterday.

In response one of the ladies said they should consume part of the harvest and then use the remainder for livestock feed.

The other beneficiary suggested that: “I think we should consume the grain and send the surplus to the Grain Marketing Board.”

The First Lady concurred and said: “I say some of the harvest must remain so that we get food while we sell surplus to GMB so that we get money to buy inputs for horticulture and use it also towards other projects. After sending the grain to GMB some people will benefit from the harvest from Portugal Farm. We say no to those who will come and steal.”

“Sezvo mwaka wezhizha wapera kudai ngatichiregai kugarira maoko. The borehole is now there, ngatichirimei vegetables and also we should do livestock production. Tatove mhuri imwe yabatanidzwa nekushanda, zvaunza love and unity.”

Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi, paid glowing tribute to the First Lady for coming up with the project.

“We are gathered here to finish harvesting our crops. Amai, this programme is your own initiative. You are the one who put your children here and helped them. You walked with us from the start to the present day. We ploughed, planted, weeded and harvested with you. You saw it fit to walk with your children as you taught them to use their hands and we now see the fruits. You have also initiated the Pfumvudza programme and given us inputs. We want to thank you for your unconditional love and those who worked with you. We are grateful Amai,” she said.

Beneficiaries of the programme showered the mother of the nation with praises for her dedication and commitment.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Minister of State and Devolution for Mashonaland East Aplonia Munzverengi, Chiefs Seke and Nechombo joined the women in shelling maize harvested at Portugal Farm which she sourced for widows, former ladies of the night and those living with disabilities in Seke yesterday.

Mrs Violet Nyamande, a widow, was at a loss for words.

“Life was difficult for me but the First Lady eased my burden. She found us a farm and gave us a place to stay while we look after our crops. We grew crops with zeal alongside other widows and some women whom we have here. We grew maize but despite the dry conditions and low rainfall we got eight tonnes. We grew cowpeas, sunflower and groundnuts. I thank the First Lady greatly because we worked with her. Despite being the wife of the President, she came to plant with us and weed with us. Today we are harvesting with her and she came here personally and she teaches us directly. We are no longer ridiculed and we are now respected in the community because of her,” she said with a smile.

Similar words were echoed by Mrs Fortunate Mureverwi, a former lady of the night, who benefitted from the programme.

“I was previously a sex worker in the highway along Beatrice Road. When Amai first engaged us, she promised us land and fulfilled her promise. We grew maize, millet, groundnuts and sunflowers among other crops which did well. We thank her because she is loving, caring and is a hard worker. We are all learning from her. We were lost but she took us and taught us to use our hands because we thought sex work would help us look after our children. We discovered that one can be successful through using their own hands. We now have somewhere to start from and send our children to school. Today, she launched Pfumvudza and we now have a borehole and we thank her for the good she has done to us,” she said.

Director Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Services, Mr Leonard Munamati, thanked the First Lady for her vision.

“The vision you came up with for us to come and farm here will give this place a different outlook from others. When we advised the authorities from the ministry about the programme, they told us that they wanted this place to be a centre of excellence. This means some people from other areas will be coming here to learn different farming methods. We thank you greatly for this vision because this year we had planted maize, millet, groundnuts and other crops but now we want to improve things. We heard about the borehole that was drilled here and we are planning to work with the beneficiaries to grow irrigation crops and do horticulture,” he said.

Chief Nechombo, Mr Langton Chikukwa, praised the mother of the nation for her vision and said chiefs will always rally behind her programmes.

“We thank you greatly for the programme that you have brought here and we thank you saying you are a leader who is able to start things and complete them. We planted together under your leadership and vision and today you are here with us as we harvest the crops. The yield we saw here is splendid. We thank you for this vision and some farmers fail to achieve the feat you and your beneficiaries achieved here,” he said.

Part of the eight tonnes of maize that was harvested, shelled and packed at Portugal Farm initiated by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for widows, former ladies of the night and those living with disabilities in Seke yesterday.

He said the success of the programme had prompted others to want to join in, leading the way in ensuring that people earn a decent living through hard work and not bad things like prostitution.

Besides farming, there are other projects at the farm like piggery after farmers around Seke donated pigs complimenting the mother of the nation’s efforts.

Mashonaland East Province was the pilot project and already the First Lady has introduced similar projects in other provinces.