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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter

ONE-THOUSAND-AND-EIGHTY spouses of members of Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Chimoio Camp, their dependants and the surrounding community, yesterday graduated in various fields after completing life-changing training courses courtesy of the partnership between First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation and the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU).

The partnership is aimed at empowering communities through open learning, which has seen 50 000 people countrywide benefitting from the programme so far.

This came as Police Commissioner-General, Godwin Matanga, indicated there was more work to be done together with the First Lady’s office, to fight drug abuse and domestic violence.

No educational qualifications are required for one to benefit from the empowerment courses that are being offered for free.

Yesterday’s event was not the first involving members of the police force as 318 members of the Support Unit have graduated from the programme.

Assistant Commissioner Maria Mahachi and Assistant Commissioner Catherine Musarapasi Nduna were among the learners, as they also undertook courses to motivate other women.

Empowerment champion, Dr Mnangagwa described yesterday’s graduation, which was Harare’s fourth intake, as an undeniable endorsement of the programme to a wider audience.

Part of the crowd and beneficiaries of the Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU partnership in short courses during the graduation ceremony at the ZRP Staff College yesterday

She shared how the journey started.

“On 16 July 2021, amid Covid-19 pandemic, I reached out to a group of culturally despised, shunned and alienated women who were distastefully referred to as ladies of the night. During the conversation I had with them, they pointed to their willingness to leave their trade and start a clean page. This conversation was flighted on 18 July 2021 during Sunday Edition. ZOU Vice chancellor paid attention to the conversation and the institution became a dependable partner in touching lives. In addition to Early Childhood Development requested on 16 July. This gave birth to other learning programmes as follows: Agriculture, Basic Counselling, Disability Management and Sign Language, Health Behaviour, Basic Records Management, Cultural Heritage, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Basic Nurse Aid – Palliative Care for the Elderly and Basic Computer Literacy have been on offer since the first launch of the first short course training at Epworth Local Board open ground on 13 September 2021,” she said.

The empowerment programme, the First Lady said, has been key in unlocking value within disadvantaged communities across the country.

“The partnership’s quest is to leave no one and no place behind as Zimbabwe strides towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income economy status by 2030,” she said.

One of the key objectives of the Second Republic is to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods particularly for women, people with disabilities and youths, among other vulnerable persons.

“It is therefore against this background that this certification ceremony contributes towards the fulfilment of Zimbabwe’s developmental agenda. The nobility of empowering vulnerable groups has far-reaching positive gains which include promotion of moral uprightness, mental wellbeing, abstinence from drug and substance abuse, eradication of poverty and other social ills bedevilling our communities.

“Well done ZRP Chimoio Camp Police officers. I applaud you for taking up these courses availed by the Angel of Hope Foundation. I acknowledge ZRP coordinators and ZOU facilitators who complemented each other in responding to the ZRP community’s request to benefit from the programme. I personally believe that the more people come together to empower communities, the brighter the prospects for prosperity for all,” she said.

Angel of Hope Foundation patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a certificate to one of the beneficiaries of her organisation’s partnership in short courses with Zimbabwe Open University at ZRP Staff College in Harare yesterday

The mother of the nation said it was most gratifying that apart from his mandate of training police officers, Comm-Gen Matanga saw it prudent to facilitate Angel of Hope/ZOU training programme as a way of ensuring that spouses and dependents of police officers were well prepared and empowered to contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.

“Without doubt, the training programme left an indelible mark on communities as the beneficiaries are now able to meaningfully engage in self-help projects. I am also delighted that police Support Unit camp community members including others from the surrounding areas undertook similar short courses that benefited 318 members and were part of the 9 560 Angel of Hope/ZOU beneficiaries and were certified at the City Sports Centre last year on 14 March 2023,” she said.

To date, the First Lady said Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and Comm-Gen Matanga have provided resources towards the training of 1 398 ZRP community members as a corporate social responsibility.

ZOU Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Gundani paid glowing tribute to the First Lady for her undying quest to empower the nation.

“You started your work and we as ZOU saw it fit to work with you and formed a partnership because we saw your leadership, quest to uplift the country and deep love for the people of Zimbabwe. We are heartened to see people witnessing the great work that you are accomplishing as we work with you. Thank you for gracing this occasion, an auspicious occasion indeed. I feel greatly honoured to speak greatly about the occasion. Today is a truly remarkable day and we witness a once-in-a-lifetime special and unique event, one of its own kind where ZRP spouses and their surrounding communities are being trained and have completed their training in the short courses which we offer together with Angel of Hope Foundation. These programmes include but are not limited to, Early Childhood Development, agriculture, entrepreneurship, business management, nurse aid and palliative care for the elderly, ICT and of course sign language and disability management. These courses are lifelong courses. These courses are life changing courses. When you get to us as an open university which is open to you all, we don’t consider your qualifications. We do not ask whether or not you have Ordinary Level passes or Advanced Level passes because our business as an open university is different from other universities, we are open. We opened doors so that people can come as we create a knowledge society and we allow people to rise. That is why we are in all provinces,” he said with emphasis.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa congratulates one of the beneficiaries of her Angel of Hope Foundation partnership in short courses with Zimbabwe Open University at ZRP Staff College in Harare yesterday.

Dr Dennis Murekachiro, director in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development said the Angel of Hope Foundation-ZOU partnership backed knowledge and innovation led development and was in alignment to the heritage based education 5.0 philosophy.

“Your Excellency Amai, through the short courses, ZOU has redefined its openness and extended its mandate as it engages a wide array of people who previously thought that university education was for others and not for them. This is a great example of social innovation. Thank you Amai for assisting ZOU for upholding its founding wish of serving the underprivileged. We also extend our congratulations to the 1080 that are getting certified today in various courses. Let me hasten to say education is key for national development, make use of the skills that you have gained as we develop our nation. Take the skills you have recently acquired to produce goods and services that the nation needs,” he said.

Women University Vice Chancellor Professor Sunungurai Dominica Chigarande said she was impressed by the number of women beneficiaries.

“I am more than delighted because of the numbers of beneficiaries who are mostly women and especially from the perspective of the gender equality agenda and the women empowerment thrust of our Constitution. I am delighted that we have quite a number of women who have been empowered. We talk about empowerment from different angles and also from the perspective of empowerment, we have realized that the levels of gender-based violence in our communities within our country in general are actually going down. Much of the GBV that we witness in our homes is a result of lack of empowerment. This initiative is quite an important initiative because it is addressing some of the social ills and the root causes of some of the social ills that we are witnessing in our nation.

“We emphasise, as I charge women here today, empowerment is from different angles. We are empowered to walk side by side with men as we develop our nation. We are empowered internally to unleash the power that is within us as women. so that is the confidence. We should have the confidence to do things, we should have the confidence to impact lives in different ways in our communities. We also talk about power to do things,” she said.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a certificate of appreciation to Zimbabwe Republic Police Staff College principal Assistant Commissioner Edward Tshuma during the graduation of beneficiaries of her Angel of Hope Foundation partnership in short courses with ZOU at ZRP Staff College in Harare yesterday

In a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy Minister Chido Sanyatwe, Minister Kazembe said yesterday’s event was a celebration of the transformation of the lives of vulnerable groups.

”We are here to celebrate the works of the First Lady who has changed the lives of vulnerable groups. Today, spouses of police and the community members who live in Chimoio Camp formerly known as Thomlinson (Depot), join a long list of her beneficiaries. Amai, I wish to thank you on behalf of the ministry of Home Affairs for reaching out to dependents of police officers with this empowerment programme. When police dependents are empowered our officers become more effective in discharging the organisation’s mandate.

The ZRP through its Staff College has embraced 5.0 as emphasised by President Mnangagwa to solve community problems. I congratulate beneficiaries and encourage them to use skills they have obtained to venture into income generating projects for the benefit of their families and communities. Thank you Your Excellence for gracing this event. May God reward your philanthropic work through the Angel of Hope Foundation,” Minister Kazembe said.

Comm-Gen Matanga thanked the First Lady for her commitment to empowering communities and asked that the police partners ZOU and Angel of Hope in Counselling courses.

“If we partner and teach one another how drugs are ruinous we would have scored huge successes. I looked at all ages and they are well represented here. I personally grew up in the rural areas where I was taught to cook by my grandmother and mother. I have seen that my obedience then and the work that I now do work hand in hand. I want us to show each other how the drugs look like, how bad they are and also to visit those addicted to drugs. When affected by drugs, one goes about beating people and hurling insults. But when you can reach out for help, you may see someone without the knowledge to assist. We need to teach one another on the drug issues. It’s not for Amai alone nor the police alone. If I do it myself people will be afraid, but when you come in, Amai, it will work out well,” he said.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa joins on the dance floor beneficiaries of her Angel of Hope Foundation partnership in short courses with ZOU as they celebrate their achievements at ZRP Staff College in Harare yesterday. — Pictures: John Manzongo

The police chief decried the surge in domestic violence and ascribed it to how people were starting their marriages.

“The bad issue about domestic violence is that it ends in death. The murders we are witnessing these days are mostly caused by domestic violence. In fact, these are now much higher than those of people being beaten by thugs out there. We wish to work with you Amai through and through,” he said.

“Indeed your presence at this occasion is eloquent testimony of the colossal value you attach to the empowerment of the most vulnerable in our society. Your Excellency, on behalf of ZRP, we are privileged to have interacted with you as our Guest of Honour and we are satisfied with the proceedings that have ensued today. Speakers at this gathering have chronicled your unmatched works which have impacted on lives of the vulnerable and less privileged in our society. Your Excellency, in Shona we say musha mukadzi and your works through participation in various empowerment programmes have aptly demonstrated this moreso that this programme was aimed at empowering dependents of police officers most of whom are women speaks directly to the importance of eradication of poverty through their empowerment. Indeed your wise counsel and wisdom have taught us to stand up and work for our families,” he said.

Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province, Charles Tawengwa, hailed Dr Mnangagwa for her selfless devotion towards the sustained social and economic advancement of the community.

“It is with great honour that I stand before you here today as we gather to witness the conferment of certificates to spouses and dependents of police officers as well as members of the community here at the police staff college. On behalf of Harare Metropolitan Province, I warmly welcome you our guest of honour the first lady of the republic of Zimbabwe Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa to this very auspicious event. It is indeed humbling to have you here. You left your busy schedule to be with us today at this empowerment certification ceremony. Our gathering here today is clear testimony of your selfless devotion towards the sustained social and economic advancement of our community. Your Excellency, indeed you have shown us that through the acquisition of psychomotor skills and education that speaks to contemporary rigors of our society, we can make Zimbabwe great. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish also to acknowledge the minister of home affairs and cultural heritage honourable Kazembe here represented by his deputy,” he said.

Beneficiaries of the programme yesterday sang, danced and whistled as they toasted to their newfound status.

Charlotte Zondai (17) was over the moon.

“I just do not know how best to thank the First Lady. She has made a difference in my life since I never dreamt that I would one day get university certification. She has shown the world that she is a mother who really cares and has everyone at heart,” she said.

Grace Chuma (62) was equally happy.

“I never thought I would one day graduate because of my age and the fact that I left school a long time ago. Our mother has given us a new purpose and we shall motivate others in the community to take part in the studies so that their lives too may be transformed for the better,” she said.

Among the graduates was a couple.

“We have been blessed with something big by the First Lady. She has helped set the foundation for success in our lives as we will use the courses we attained to better ourselves. It will also be a motivational factor for our children that if we could do it at an old age, they too can certainly do something for themselves,” said the husband.