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Tendai Rupapa-Senior Reporter

FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is charmed that the sewing project she rolled out to empower girls in Chitungwiza is still going strong, helping them acquire life skills and stay away from mischief.

On Sunday, the beneficiaries invited the First Lady to see the clothes they sew and help distribute them to the needy around Chitungwiza.

They sew hundreds of dresses, skirts, shirts, shorts, blouses for different age groups. The First Lady, through her Angel of Hope Foundation, provided skills, machines, materials and other accessories to make the project a success. 

Girls, who went through the mother of the nation’s Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme to inculcate good morals in them, started by sewing reusable sanitary pads after being trained by Angel of Hope Foundation which were later distributed to schools in Chitungwiza for the benefit of disadvantaged girls.

In no time, the project has grown providing children access to skills they ordinarily would not have acquired without the First Lady’s intervention.

Even without the machines, the girls can now hand sew.

One of the beneficiaries, Shamiso Mbarare (19) said after receiving training from Angel of Hope she is now happily employed, however, without abandoning the sewing project which they vowed to carry forward.

The girls said they were equipped with a skill they will carry to the grave and for that they are forever thankful to Amai Mnangagwa.

“Amai has been with us since 2020 and taking us through the project. She initiated this project following her Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba programme which we attended,”she said. “We started by sewing reusable pads which we handed over to the disadvantaged girls with Amai’s help. 

“Today we are here and have become professional tailors. One cannot see these clothes were made by someone who initially did not know how to handle a needle. We sew beautiful clothes and they look as if they were done by established big clothing shops. Most girls could not even handle a needle, but look at what we produced through Amai’s benevolence. 

“She taught us everything as she implored us to stop sitting at bridges and use our hands. I am thankful to you Amai for the great work you did for us. After the training I received, I managed to get a job and I am now working as a tailor yet I was among those who could not even handle a needle, a scissors or how to cut. “When clothes were torn in the home, we would wait for our mothers to come and sew because we couldn’t. We are thankful for what the First Lady did for us. Today we have invited you Mhamha kuti muone mabasa enyu amakatidzidzisa (to witness the results of the work you taught us) and help us distribute the clothes to our fellow brothers and sisters.”

So expertly sewn were the clothes that one would think they were made by professional tailors in big factories.

Dr Mnangagwa also held an interactive session with the community where she spoke at length against rising cases of rape, drug abuse, domestic violence and immorality among youths. The success of the sewing project made the mother of the nation happy and promised to keep supporting the girls.

“It is my pleasure to be here with you after being invited by my little children who are still to enter the institution of marriage who grasped what they were taught to come and see the work they have done so that they share with their peers who are underprivileged. I want to thank you my daughters for embracing what you were taught,” she said. 

She jokingly urged boys to let the girls grow. 

“I started with them with the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba Programme where the questions they asked showed they had a zeal to learn. From our interactions I saw that these children were gifted. I then introduced reusable pads sewing. I provided them with machines, materials and all needed accessories and I never told them what to do with what they would have sewn but in no time they invited me to come and distribute them to children in disadvantaged communities.

“I saw that the ideas came from the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session where we taught them good morals. If they were some, they would be selfish and say since we were pricked by needles, let us sell and pocket the money we made, but they thought of others. They said Mhamha we want to continue sewing for our colleagues. I then decided to give them material to sew clothes and pads. I gave them a roll of material and they phoned to say they had made many clothes of various sizes. I wish to thank this kind of work. I now want more children doing this work. 

“As parents please assist by monitoring these children because we want them to be morally upright. Recently I was in Bulawayo where a nine-year-old girl was raped and got pregnant. I visited this child with a bleeding heart. She gave birth the next day after my visit. In no time I was told there is another 8-year-old in Bindura who is also pregnant after being raped by two boys. 

“What kind of spirit is it that has entered our children? Imagine taking turns to rape such a minor. This is their sister but I am told these two boys took turns to rape her. In Beitbridge a 5-year-old was also recently raped. What is this? Will it make you rich if you rape a child? 

“As mothers, let us look after our children, both boys and girls because they are being ruined by drugs. Parents let us put our heads together before it is too late. We have a heavy burden. As mothers in the homes, what are you doing to teach our children? What shall we do with these people who are raping or selling drugs to children? Let us discuss,” she said.

The question elicited various responses from the gathering.

Gogo Eugenia Makato equated people who do such things to animals.

“When people behave like this, they are worse than animals. Raping a five-year-old. We say they must be locked up and the keys thrown somewhere. We are pained by what is going on,” she said.

Another discussant, Mrs Susan Mapara spelt out the need for communities to work with the police to end such tendencies.

“I think as a community we need to work with the police because each time we say we know people selling drugs but we do not supply information to them. We should all be community officers in our areas so that the bad apples will be thrown away,” she said with pain written all over her face.

Gogo Audrey Pachanza said rape sentences must be made stiff.

“Rape sentences and for those selling drugs must be stiff so that the perpetrators rot in jail. It must be tough and so prolonged jail term is ideal,” she said.

“We are killing our own children alone because we are making drugs in the homes and selling to children, including those of schoolgoing age, thereby killing their future. As mothers we should have a heart,” another elderly woman said.

The First Lady weighed in saying she had heard the public outcry and implored people who know drug peddlers to report such cases to her office via toll free 575 so that police will be involved. 

“Nhasi taita zvisungo zvekuti sentences for rapists and those dealing in drugs must be increased so that they are freed when fully rehabilitated, communities must work closely with the police and as parents we must give our children rules to walk in the right path.

“Let us set up committees that will work closely with the police and my office. We must do away with the blame game, let us all play our part. As parents are we sitting down with our children?”

A few raised their hands showing how some parents were not teaching their children the correct upright path to follow. 

Others openly told Amai that they were not doing so, but promised to change following her wise counsel.

“Parents, it is important to have time with the children. Charity begins at home. I heard drugs like mutoriro are being made iin homes, so how can our children stay away from drugs? As parents we are role models to our children so they are bound to copy what we do as parents so if you do bad, the child is likely to follow suit,” the First Lady said.

“But when you counsel these children, what are they saying?” Dr Mnangagwa asked.

In response one lady said the children walk away saying “Aiwa momz kudhara ikoko,” slang for “Don’t waste my time.”

An elderly lady chipped in saying parents were to blame for their children’s misbehaviour.

“Amai when you asked as to how many people were sitting down with their children, only a few confirmed which means we are not training our children and how will the naughtiness disappear when we are turning a blind eye as the children are ruined by drugs and go on committing crimes like rape.”

Mrs Cecilia Chikanya said it was heart-rending that children were now frequenting bars.

“Children are now frequenting bars where they are taking aphrodesiacs which make them want sexual intercourse, forcing them to rape even the elderly and minors.”

Mrs Josephine Chipatiko echoed similar sentiments.

“At church I am a youth leader and I receive complaints from boys saying girls are seducing them, so these girls also need to be taught. Thank you Amai for coming to be with us we have learnt a lot,” she said.

The First Lady took time to counsel the youths and urged parents to keep an eye on their children.

Others said there were parents who did not want their children to be counselled by others, but the First Lady said it takes a village to raise a child.

The beneficiaries of the sewing project with the assistance of Amai Mnangagwa donated the clothes to the less privileged children.

Tinotenda Chisuko (17), one of the tailors, thanked the First Lady, promising to continue with the project imparting the knowledge she got from Angel of Hope Foundation to other girls in the community. 

She finished her Ordinary level and said most girls of her age rushed into marriage but she decided to follow the right path and spends most of her time sewing.

She said her dream one day is to open a sewing factory and be a professional tailor all because of Amai.

Similar sentiments were shared by another young girl who said she was now able to sew clothes and mend torn clothes for her family members.

“I am proud and thankful to amai for what she has done for us. I can now mend torn clothes for my family members meaning we can now save money. This training is so good and I hope one day to start my own garment factory,” she said with a broad smile.

Misheck Moyo (17) said he was grateful to the First Lady for her wise counsel especially to the youths.

“I am grateful to Amai for her show of love by coming here to talk to us about issues affecting our communities. I wish her strength and a long life so that the country continues to benefit from her wisdom. This sewing project has ensured our young brothers and sisters get clothes for Christmas,” he said.