Covid-19 response: First Lady happy
RURAL communities have fully embraced First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s teaching on Covid-19, judging by their response and contributions during her lively interactive sessions with them here yesterday.
The people expressed eagerness to learn more while showing that they now have access to information on how best to protect themselves against the pandemic, which has killed thousands of people across the globe.
The First Lady’s visit comes at a time when the country is under an indefinite lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus which has brought the world economy to its knees.
It is also quarantining returnees to prevent the spread of coronavirus amid reports that most cases in the country are imported.
The lockdown has been long that most elderly people had run out of food while most clinics do not have sufficient sanitisers and personal protective equipment (PPEs) to keep the disease at bay, hence the First Lady’s intervention.
Amai Mnangagwa kept her lessons highly interactive and lively by allowing her audience to contribute and ask questions.
She asked the villagers to tell her what they knew about coronavirus before giving them new information and explained areas they did not understand.
She described the elderly as a key group in information dissemination due to their role in society as home administrators and advisors.
“You are my main area of focus, my good friends. When I leave this place I trust that you will keep on carrying out the assignment I will give you. I will come back and assess what you would have done after my departure.
“We want you to counsel our youngsters since they belong to the community. This day must be one of educating each other. This Covid-19 started in other countries and a cure is still to be found. But if we practice what we are taught, like social distancing and wearing of face masks, it will not spread,” she said.
During the interactive session, members of the community spoke resoundingly about the need to maintain good hygiene and constantly washing hands as some of the measures to control the spread of coronavirus.
The First Lady said: “We should wash our hands in running water using soap. We now have an information centre set up by Government where you can call and get help.”
The villagers stressed their challenges on the need for social distancing at funerals.
“We still have challenges when it comes to funerals. We are mourning our dead in huge numbers, but we have learnt from your teachings not to do so anymore because of this virus. We need to maintain social distance at such gatherings,” said Mbuya Anna Moyo, much to the delight of the First Lady, who saw that her teachings were bearing fruit.
The First Lady spoke against the age-old tradition of distributing a deceased relative’s clothes without the supervision of health workers as part of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
One village head, Mr Robert Juru, of Juru Village, left people in stitches when he said women risked spreading coronavirus because of the long hours they spend “gossiping” at the borehole without observing social distancing.
“My house is near the village borehole. I usually hear women in fits of laughter gathered at the borehole while sitting on their buckets without observing social distancing. They are violating the law instead of just fetching water and making their way home.
“I have since put a stop to that as their village head and advised them to just fetch water and quickly go back to their homes. We also supplied soap at the boreholes so that people wash their hands before pumping water,” he said, drawing laughter from those present.
Even the First Lady could not help it, but laugh along with the crowd.
The audience sought to know how social distancing is applied in the bedroom whereupon the First Lady invited a health official, Sister Flora Madziva, to explain to them.
Amai Mnangagwa also spoke strongly against domestic violence cases which are on an unprecedented increase countrywide during the current lockdown period.
She implored people to make use of the police’s public relations units countrywide to ease the problem and implored the elderly to intervene in settling domestic disputes among young couples.
From Gambiza Hall in Chiundura, Gweru, the First Lady proceeded to
Ruby Clinic in Vungu Constituency, where she interacted with the elderly.
Her Angel of Hope Foundation teams were dotted in other areas around Gweru and Kwekwe that included Somabula, Lower Gweru, Sherwood, Zhombe Mission, Sebakwe, Redcliff, Bob Swift business centre and Loreto business Centre.
Midlands Minister of State, Provincial Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavima praised the work being done by the First Lady and her Angel of Hope Foundation, which he said had eased the plight of the elderly and other vulnerable members of the community.
“The First Lady is here to see the elderly. She reaches every corner of the country and we are grateful to have such a leader with the elderly and the poor at heart.
“She works tirelessly with every citizen at heart. She started Angel of Hope Foundation through her kindness and to build a brighter future for the country.
“She is not on the Government payroll but continues working hard to meet the needs of every citizen. We thank you heartily for that kind heart,” he said.