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Tendai Rupapa in HONDE VALLEY

FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa was yesterday privileged to attend a traditional meal cookout competition in Mutasa District at the invitation of the community that has fully embraced indigenous dishes, which she has been promoting because of their high nutritional value and medicinal properties.

It was an African-themed event where the 20 participants drawn from all the constituencies in Mutasa district prepared various dishes the traditional way over open fires while drinks like maheu were served from earthen gourds.

The women that included the elderly and youths, showcased how traditional dishes can be cleverly packaged to entice even younger people who viewed traditional food as inferior as they favoured exotic dishes which exposed them to obesity, hypertension, diabetes and a host of other ailments.

Some of the dishes were so innovative that they left people awestruck. 

A banana was taken as a fruit, relish when it was put in soup and they call the dish ‘dhotonya’. It was taken as a snack when it was made into chips and as pudding. To prepare the pudding, green sweet bananas were boiled and mashed in peanut butter showing just how innovative people can come up with so many dishes. 

The same was done with yams (madhumbe) which were boiled and people took with tea, they also mixed the yams with tomatoes and onions making it a relish. Another dish was mashed yams mixed with avocado and sweet potatoes.

It was also providential in that Manicaland is the home of bananas and yams.

Dishes prepared included body-building food like mutakura, pumpkins, pounded uninga, mushroom in peanut butter, mazondo, madora in peanut butter and traditional rice.

The mouth-watering dishes also encompassed sadza prepared from orange maize, millet, sorghum, white maize, dried vegetables, nhopi, wheat rice, cassava, road runner, sugar beans, green mealies, kapenta and sweet potatoes.

Vegetables included Dowe (yam leaves) which the participants said boosts the immune system, mowa, black jack (which they said increases blood and heals wounds), pumpkin leaves in peanut butter and also mixed mharupwa. 

There was also Tapa vegetables which grows naturally in stream banks and was said to help diabetic patients and okra.

On the fruits there was small berries (tsubvu), banana, nzviru, pawpaw, avocados, granadillas, lemons, oranges and guavas. 

The women had maheu, makoni tea, zumbani tea and snacks which included dried bananas, mhandire, fried sweet potatoes, cassava chips, dried salted peanuts, yam chips and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Deserts included banana pudding.

The mother of the nation also tackled social issues like drug abuse, child marriages and lack of respect among youths, emphasising that the nation needed responsible citizens capable of carrying it forward.

In her address to the gathering, Amai Mnangagwa said she had been humbled by the invitation and had learnt a lot from the dishes prepared.

“I wish to respect those who have invited me here to see what you are doing. I was overjoyed when I was invited and you did not disappoint since you have shown me a lot and I have also learnt a lot. Thank you for being good cooks because even in the home there is no husband who wants a spouse who cannot cook. A home needs an organised woman. This Amai’s traditional cook-out that was held here seeks to promote traditional foods. Traditional meals are all over and around us. These are healthy foods that are nutritious and help ends diseases. Most people think that indigenous dishes are embarrassing. But must we as Africans be ashamed of our food?”

The first Lady said traditional dishes were sought after worldwide, yet some people thought it was embarrassing to consume such meals.

“Do you know that foreigners scramble for our food which is healthy and medicinal. We should not look down upon our foods. We must encourage each other to consume healthy foods. If we even dry our traditional foods and export them, most people will rush for the food. If you consume traditional food and embrace the country’s national dress, other countries will emulate us,” she said.

The First Lady educated people on the national dress which was launched recently and its importance. 

She spearheaded the adoption of the national dress.

Amai Mnangagwa gave an account of how she came up with the initiative of the national dress and said there was a time she went to meet other African First Ladies and felt out of place when other First Ladies wore their traditional attires and Zimbabwe did not have. When she returned, she pushed for a national attire which was a success. 

“Our children nowadays frown upon our traditional dishes, but it is our duty as mothers to teach them and prepare the dishes for them,” she said.

She asked why hospitals served patients sorghum porridge and one elderly woman said: “The porridge is healthy and complemented pills to work.”

A representative from the Ministry of Health and Child Care concurred. 

“It is true, Gogo got it right. Our traditional dishes help cure and prevent diseases,” he said.

On social issues, the First Lady said society was facing countless challenges with divorce rates alarmingly high.

“Some women always have their bags packed and ready to leave. Divorce rates are rising, what is happening? Children are getting increasingly mischievous and their dressing is appalling. In the homes are you men and women giving each other your rightful positions because we know that the men are the heads of households while women are helpers. Do you know who watches over the family and who protects the household. Chii chinombonzi Nharirire?”

An elderly man said a Nharirire was someone who looked after and watches over the family.

The First Lady then asked: “So who is the Nharirire yeMusha in a family setup?”

Most responses from both men and women said Nharirire was the mother because she spent the whole day home looking after children and livestock when their husbands are away at work.

The First Lady weighed in saying: “You said women are the Nharirire but as women let us know our position and not rule over men. Be submissive and respect your husbands as the heads of the homes.”

She also touched on the issue of drug abuse.

“Children are now abusing drugs and alcohol. They can longer be assigned tasks in the home and walk in the nude. Children are rushing to have sexual relations resulting in unwanted pregnancies and drop out of school. These daughters of ours will also be unsure of the person responsible for their pregnancies. Whose child is this who is getting this drunk. We all have a duty to teach our children good morals. My children, I urge you to focus on your school studies and shape your career. Learn to say no to those seeking to affect your education. Where have these fathers who abuse their daughters come from? We should protect our children as parents not to abuse them,” she said.

The First Lady also spoke candidly against child marriages saying those practicing the same would face the law.

Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokuthula Matsikenyere said she was grateful to the First Lady for rolling out her beneficial programme to her province.

“As Manicaland we are happy with your decision to honour our invitation to attend our Amai’s traditional meal cook-out competition. This programme came about after we grasped your teachings to consume our traditional dishes. We also thank you for assisting the less privileged people in our country and for having everyone at heart,” she said.

Among women who participated in yesterday’s programme was Mrs Dorothy Mukanganwa who thanked the First Lady for her love for the people and move to promote indigenous dishes.

“I am thankful for this programme which was started by the First Lady encouraging citizens to prepare indigenous dishes which promote good health. As women from Mutasa we embrace this programme. I am one of the women who participated in the Amai’s tradition cook-out competitions and came out second in Manicaland Province. When I came back, I taught other women what Amai had taught us so that we maintain healthy families. Today we invited the First Lady to come and see that we are carrying forward the programme she started. We are happy that she is here to witness what we are doing and we thank her for the programme,” she said with happiness written all over her face.

Similar words were echoed by Mrs Sarah Jari from Manica Bridge in Mutasa North.

“I am happy for this programme which was initiated by the First Lady because we no longer have food challenges as we now consume bodybuilding food that has medicinal properties and easily accessible. This is my first time participating in the programme following in the footsteps and counsel of our First Lady to follow tradition,” she said.

Equally ecstatic was Mrs Perpetua Manatse from Ward 11.

“I have come here to prepare traditional dishes as taught by the First Lady. We started these cooking clubs after being taught by Amai. We have invited her to come and see the healthy foods that we had forgotten. We have pumpkin leaves in peanut butter among other dishes which are healthy for the dhildren as they no longer grow up with signs of diseases like kwashiorkor,” she said.

The wife to Chief Chikonda, Mrs Rachel Chikonda, said she was glad to be part of the programme to promote healthy eating in her area.

Mrs Maggie Mwadiwa, who runs a restaurant in Hauna said studies had shown that indigenous foods promoted good health and longer lives to those who take them as compared to exotic dishes.

“I thank Amai for her programme. We had a challenge of young children wanting exotic dishes which expose them to diseases. Here, I prepared breakfast with plant proteins like beans and groundnuts which fight diabetes. Sorghum sadza helps digestion just like fermented foods like maheu. I urge youths to embrace these foods and reduce early death and exotic dishes which expose them to diseases,” she said emphatically.

Ms Mwadiwa said she was now serving traditional meals at her restaurant.

Judges in yesterday’s competition said they were looking at food presentation, quality, methods of cooking, preferred dishes, utensils used and hygiene.

Mrs Mukanganwe came out first, while Mrs Mwadiwa came second.

The First Lady appreciated the efforts put by the participants and said all of them were winners. She gave them food hampers and toiletries.