Zimpapers Logo

 Tendai Rupapa in MUTARE

HOPELESSNESS and despair which enveloped teenage mothers in Manicaland Province, yesterday vanished as at least 200 teen mothers, including one who is seven-months pregnant and still in school, broke into song and dance as they opened a new chapter through training in detergent-making, courtesy of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her Angel of Hope Foundation’s working partners.

Beneficiaries were given starter packs to kick-start the projects and put the skills they acquired to immediate use.

Some of the beneficiaries openly wept as they could not believe what the First Lady had done for them.

“Bye bye nhamo, hatichakuda nhamo, takatambura zvikakwana,” sang the young mothers while dancing and waving their certificates of completion.

They all spoke glowingly of the First Lady and wished her many more years filled with success.

The training programme was rolled out in fulfilment of a request the teenage mothers made to the mother of the nation recently that they wanted assistance in income-generating projects to be able to fend for their children.

The beneficiaries of the training programme, who have been given a new lease of life by being equipped with skills to fend for themselves, counted themselves very lucky.

They gave brief accounts about how they fell pregnant and sang praises to the First Lady for inclining an ear to their problems.

A 19-year-old beneficiary from Chimanimani said: “I had a child at 14 while in Grade Seven because I grew up as an orphan. My father passed on when I was young and my mother left me alone at home when she remarried. 

“My sisters were far, at their husbands’ homes, hence I was all alone at home and unable to attend school. Due to poverty I thought things would change if I got married. I then got pregnant and life became difficult. 

“I gave birth and stayed with my child at home but because I needed someone to take care of me, I later followed the responsible boy who later accepted me. However, our child died at three months. Today I am so grateful to our Mother the First Lady for remembering us.” 

Similar sentiments were echoed by another teen mother.

“I had my child at 15 when I was about to go into Form One,” she said. “In my area there are diamonds and I was fooled into falling pregnant by a diamond panner. When I got pregnant, he denied responsibility thus I remained at home with my parents. 

“Whenever the father of my child sees me, he changes direction. He is 27 years old. I am grateful to Amai because the man who impregnated me used to scold me as uneducated. May Amai continue with that heart and she has given me somewhere to start from.”

Another teenager from Chipinge who also had a child at 14, said she was thankful to the First Lady for what she had done for her and others.

“I had a child at a tender age,” she said. “The responsible guy loved me, but his parents would not accept me and this troubled me a lot. I even had thoughts of entering beer halls because at home my mother would always be reminding me that I did not listen and was mischievous. 

“My parents later took me and dumped me at the responsible man’s house. The man took me in but the parents would have none of it. I am glad they are now gradually accepting me. I want to thank Amai Mnangagwa for her kind heart. She has made me a businesswoman and I promise to work hard and become successful.”

She still dreams of making it in life and driving top-of-the-range vehicles like Land Cruisers and Toyota Fortuner, thus according to her.

Another 18-year-old also had a sorry tale to share, but said she was grateful for the training programme initiated by the First Lady.

“I ended my education in Form One,” she said. “I was impregnated at 16 with a promise of marriage that made me leave school. After giving birth, the guy chased me and started mocking me saying I was uneducated. 

“Today I am happy because Amai has wiped away my tears. I can now make dishwasher, toilet cleaner and petroleum jelly among other detergents. We were tired of being looked down upon by the society we live in and thank you Amai for your love, you have put me on the top.” 

From Mutasa District, there was another beneficiary who is still attending school while pregnant.

She is in Form Four.

“I am seven months pregnant,” she said. “I live with my parents and I never advised the man that I am pregnant because my parents advised me to stay at home and attend school. 

“I thank the First Lady for what she has done for us. I regret what I did because I rushed to have sexual relationships before time was right. If we work hard, we can now buy whatever we want without bothering anyone. Some people laugh at me at school and say bad things, but I am not affected. In fact I am good in class and I know I will pass.”

Addressing the gathering, the First Lady, who spoke candidly against child marriages, said it was her wish to ensure people countrywide had something to live on.

“We hope that this initiative will empower these young women in becoming providers for their children,” she said. “This is not the first time meeting groups of young mothers as I previously sat down with them and discussed how they became young mothers as a result of unwanted pregnancies and how they dropped out of school. 

“I also met with teenage mothers in Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East and I will travel to all the 10 provinces with this programme. 

“These young women expressed their regret on dropping out of school and becoming teenage mothers and highlighted their wish to venture into income-generating projects. As a result, I engaged one of our partners at Angel of Hope Foundation who came up with the detergent-making project for them to receive training and knowledge on the project. I went back to them for this initiative on my second visit as a response to the first one. 

“The young women got starter packs to kick-start their newly found venture. Today is not different as these young ladies also received starter packs after undertaking training on the manufacturing of various household detergents. This is not a laughing matter or thinking that this training is about today and it’s over, my wish is for you to put the skills acquired into practice and kick-start your projects.”

The First Lady encouraged children to remain in school and to stay away from drugs and early marriages.

“I heard that there are some girls who were married off at 14 years of age and are still in those homes with men and now they are reaching 19 years of age,” she said. “Is that marriage? Is this a good union? 

“Those who married you are equally young and I think you came together from school. That is not marriage. We do not recognise that as marriage because it was all done while you were below the age of consent. Let bygones be bygones, humhandara idamba kamwe, but you can change your life and be able to have a brighter future. 

“You now have families and therefore you have become grown women. A mother is a worker, a keeper, a caregiver and a teacher and this means a woman must always work hard. People in your communities look forward to seeing what you will produce after this training.

“I want to encourage you all young mothers not to shy away from using your hands as this will enable financial security in your households fostering empowerment as women.”

The First Lady voiced concern over a surge in divorce cases.

“We have witnessed a surge in domestic violence, especially from young couples,” she said. “When I visited Chipinge the young women said they were sent back to their parents before the boys ran away. That is violence because when you go back you cause challenges among parents. Divorce cases are rising.” 

She said the issue of children’s rights often led to challenges for young people and children must bring back certificates from school and not children.

“You are now women though still far too young and this implores you to grow fast in your minds and be clever enough to transform your lives through hard work,” said the First Lady. “We want to see these products increase. If we have many such products, even the costs in shops fall because of competition. Who wants to buy from expensive shops leaving cheaper things here?”

She implored youths to always respect and listen to advice given by their parents, traditional chiefs and all elders.

Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokuthula Matsikenyere expressed gratitude to the First Lady for remembering people in her constituency.

“We thank you for remembering your children. You have put smiles on their faces. It’s now up to you my daughters to grasp and put to use what you have been taught. Our mother has empowered you and it is up to you to succeed or fail. May God continue blessing you Amai. As Manicaland we are grateful,” she said with a huge smile.

The Women’s Bank, represented by Mrs Patricia Mutizira, pledged to support the mother of the nation’s vision by assisting the young mothers to ensure their project initiated by Amai Mnangagwa flourish.

Also when the First Lady first met the teen mothers in Chipinge, the Ministry of Women Affairs pledged to support her vision and work with the teen mothers.

Yesterday they told the First Lady that to complement her vision, they were going to start a poultry project for the young mothers.