Joy as First Lady launches Masvingo Widows Association, medical outreach
. . . thousands get free screening for NCDs
IT was double delight for the people of Masvingo Province yesterday, thanks to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who launched the Masvingo chapter of her First Lady’s Widows Association there together with a medical outreach programme where people received free health checks for non-communicable diseases as she steps up her empowerment initiatives.
The oversubscribed event also saw people undergoing screening for cervical, breast and prostate cancer as well as HIV testing.
Masvingo becomes the second province where the First Lady’s Widows Association has been launched for the benefit of thousands of widows and widowers after being successfully launched in Mashonaland West Province.
As a motivational factor, beneficiaries from Mashonaland West Province were part of yesterday’s programme where they shared information on how they are doing it with their colleagues from Masvingo Province.
Projects launched in Masvingo included poultry where widows from all the districts received chickens and feed enough for the birds to reach maturity.
All the seven districts also received goods for them to start tuckshops.
They were given drinks, water, sugar, flour and yoghurt for their new business.
In addition, the beneficiaries received farming inputs, chemicals and knapsack sprayers for the farming project.
Dr Mnangagwa, who is the country’s health and child care ambassador, thanked the Province for voting back President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the August 23 harmonised elections, paving the way for her to continue with her empowerment programmes.
“I wish to thank you a lot and thank God for enabling us to meet here today. We want a fighting spirit in us as women. We must not just wait to receive goods and clap hands. Work for yourself as a woman. In their play, my children from IYASA showed us the trials and tribulations of widows, how they are disowned, stripped of properties by greedy relatives and inherited.
“In the end the widow will be frequenting beerhalls, but we say no to this. These are common challenges for widows, but not in this country where we have laws protecting them. I will come back with relevant stakeholders so that you are taught and informed of your rights as widows thus, knowing what the law says. I am encouraging all of us to unite and work together.
“I have come to strengthen and mould madzimai who were left with children to look after. God loves you and he will never give you a burden you cannot bear. I have come to transform your lives. If there were bad names you were given in your communities, I have come to rub them.
“I have come to give you a new name which is informed by how you walk, talk and live with others. Some widows wear miniskirts and revealing attire, mudzimai ngaapfeke zvinhu zvine hunhu zvakadzikama. Arise munhukadzi and occupy your rightful place and quit gossiping and clubbing. In my office I have a 575 National Gender Based Violence call centre.
“Phone there and we discuss issues that affect us as women. As women are we maintaining hygiene from our bodies to our households and surroundings in view of cholera?” she asked. “But what causes cholera?” In response people said cholera was caused by contaminated water supplies, foods and drinks sold in unhygienic conditions, vegetables and fruits not washed or grown with water containing human waste and raw sewage.
An elderly woman said: “When people defecate in the open, their faeces can contaminate the environment, including water supply. When people drink this contaminated water, they can become infected with the bacteria that causes cholera,” she said before she was joined by her colleague and they performed a song raising awareness against cholera.
The two elderly women received a gift from the First Lady for their song.
The First Lady implored the people to practice good hygiene at all times and take measures to end the spread of cholera.
The mother of the nation thanked her Angel of Hope Foundation’s partners for their continued support.
“Women today I say these projects I have brought are your new spouses. We say no to those who snatch people’s husbands, we want those who work for themselves. I have partners for Angel of Hope Foundation who assist me as alone I cannot manage.”
◆ Full story on www.herald.co.zw