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Tendai Rupapa

Senior Reporter

Disadvantaged girls taken by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation from orphanages, trained in tourism and hospitality and then given jobs at Hotplate and Grill, are doing well and committed to improving their lives.

In recognition of the First Lady’s drive to empower the girl child and ward off mischief, Hotplate Grillhouse last year handed over a fully equipped restaurant to Angel of Hope Foundation where the First Lady employed lesser privileged girls.

Amai Mnangagwa is working flat out to ensure citizens in difficult circumstances are uplifted and empowered with her Angel of Hope Foundation, giving hope to the hopeless.

Unlike in the past when the girls had no hope for a brighter future, they are now singing praises to the mother of the nation for rescuing them and equipping them with critical life skills.

The girls, just like other youths countrywide, were taken through the First Lady’s Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba sessions and all agree that the programme nurtured them into mannered citizens equipping them with life changing skills.

The former less privileged ladies taken from children’s homes and economically empowered by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, go about their work at the Hotplate Grill House owned by Angel of Hope Foundation.

One of them is now married and had a wedding recently thanks to Amai Mnangagwa’s teachings.

The girls are happy that they are now using their hands to earn a living without delving in the ruinous world of delinquencies.

One of the beneficiaries, who grew up at a children’s home in Kuwadzana, and is now happily married, thanked the First lady for her Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme which she said shaped her future.

With her savings from her employment and support from her husband, the girl said she intends to go back to school and further her studies.

“I want to thank Amai for what she did for me and the other disadvantaged girls. To be what I am today it is all because of her. She gave me a job so that I can realise an income. She always advises us to be well-cultured and embrace good teachings.

“She taught us to treasure education and learn to use our hands as girls. I thank her heartily for teaching us through her programmes like Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba. I was married and wedded in December last year.”

She said the teachings she received made it easy for her to adapt to married life with ease.

“Amai taught us to respect everyone, including the husband’s relatives when one is married and it was not a challenge for me to adapt when I got married.

“I look forward to rewrite the subjects I failed at Ordinary Level and advance my education. I came from Tamuka Foundation in Kuwadzana and I implore other children in homes not to look down upon themselves. I see myself being successful and opening my own restaurant in the future,” she said.

The former less privileged ladies taken from children’s homes and economically empowered by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, go about their work at the Hotplate Grill House owned by Angel of Hope Foundation.

Another beneficiary of the First Lady’s benevolence, who is working at Hotplate Grillhouse, could not hide her appreciation of the First Lady’s teachings.

“I can now stand on my own and buy things that I could not afford in the past. We are putting aside money with my peers so that in the near future we can buy items for ourselves like beds, stoves and other gadgets. We see ourselves achieving this through the teachings we received from Amai and the job she gave us. I never experienced mother’s love growing up but Amai filled in the gap, she is a mother to the motherless. In the near future we shall open our own businesses.

“We will not think of any mischief because our minds would be occupied with work,” she said.

Ms Amanda Mazhingi, a manager at the restaurant said the children who came through Angel of Hope Foundation were respectful and pleasant to work with.

“I work with these girls every day and they are respectful and easy to teach. They have their aspirations, including furthering their studies while working and we allow them to learn as they work.

“They are happy that they can now afford to buy things like cellphones, toiletries and having good hairstyles among other things. We thank Amai for teaching them good morals. Her teachings are good and beneficial to the nation,” she said.