First Lady hands over 100 scholarships from UN Tourism
. . . beneficiaries drawn from all provinces
FIRST LADY Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday handed over United Nations tourism scholarships from Spain’s IE University to 100 students emphasising the importance of strengthening high quality education in tourism to unlock its full potential, promote traditional dishes and foster employment creation.
United Nations Tourism secretary-general Mr Zurab Pololikashvili granted Zimbabwe the scholarships through Dr Mnangagwa in Spain at the end of last year in appreciation of her ingenuity, dedication and hard work in promoting gastronomy tourism.
He described Amai Mnangagwa as a leading African gastronomy champion.
They are online academy open certificate scholarships.
IE University in the Spanish capital, Madrid, is one of the world’s leading business institutions which shape people with a global vision, humanistic approach as well as an entrepreneurial spirit.
As a motivational factor, the First Lady shared her personal history and how she persevered and succeeded, defying the odds that were heavily stacked against her.
Amai Mnangagwa, who is the country’s patron for Tourism and Hospitality, has a deep appreciation of the tourism and hospitality sector in which she holds a university degree from Switzerland and a Masters degree from the Midlands State University.
She is currently a PhD student with the Midlands State University focusing on tourism and hospitality.
Yesterday, Dr Mnangagwa held an interactive session with the beneficiaries during which she spoke on the importance of traditional dishes, their health benefits and how they are prepared.
Beneficiaries of the scholarships are mainly learners in the tourism and hospitality industry, food science and culinary arts and hotel catering drawn from tertiary institutions around the country’s 10 provinces.
They represented Midlands State University, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Lupane University, Manicaland University of Applied Sciences, Great Zimbabwe University and the University of Zimbabwe.
Also included are learners from Gweru Polytechnic, Bulawayo Polytechnic, Mutare Polytechnic, Harare Polytechnic and Belvedere Teachers College.
Dr Mnangagwa said she was humbled by the gesture extended to her office by the global tourism promotion body in recognition of her commitment to strengthen high quality education in tourism.
The scholarship, she said, was awarded due to her efforts to promote community livelihoods at grassroots level through gastronomy tourism.
She shared her brief history to motivate the scholarship beneficiaries.
“Let me share with you my life history as a motivation factor. I personally grew up in a dysfunctional family where my parents had divorced and I had to take care of my two younger brothers.
“We had no elderly person to take care of us. I only obtained my birth certificate through the assistance of the headmaster.
“I later proceeded to school in Chishawasha where my mother was now working at St Dominic’s Mission. My mother would send fees and other sundries and I learnt hard and took my studies seriously.
“Fortunately, I passed and Silveria House invited me over for a secretarial course because the poverty at our house was extreme. My mother would pray everyday for us her children she had left back home. I was a bright child in school.
“After my course, I was then called to work in the ministry that was led by the late Minister Edgar Tekere, after him, it was taken over by the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Frederick Shava.
“I did not stay long there before I went to work in the Office of the President. I worked there for many years. I did everything including training meant for men because where I came from was much more difficult than the training.
“I later resigned and went to University of Zimbabwe for two years where I pursued tourism studies. I then applied to go outside the country and I went to Switzerland to further my studies. I was married then and I want to tell you how it all began and what it means to persevere.
“Personal development is critical, including achievement while marriage is acquired. Development comes with your own initiative.
“Development is much more essential because no one can take it away from you. I said to my husband I was leaving for school to pursue my studies. I attended one of the best schools in Switzerland and did so well. You won’t believe I would wear a black and white uniform like the one you are putting on today.
“I also passed there. I did not stop there, I enrolled for a Masters degree at MSU, now I am currently pursuing my PhD with the same university and my focus is on tourism and hospitality. If I did it, you can also do it my children,” she said.
The mother of the nation encouraged the learners to embrace the opportunity and let it not go to waste.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Zimbabwean experience in empowering communities through traditional cuisine came to light in 2021 through my desire as the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe to promote and preserve our culture and tradition.
“Having realised the gap between generations in terms of consuming traditional foods and the imminent threats to our norms and values, I introduced the traditional cookout programme in Zimbabwe.
“This is meant, among other things, to encourage our people to consume more of traditional foods than fast foods in a way to ensure a healthy living through nutritious diet,” she said.
The programme, Dr Mnangagwa said, has become an annual event since 2021.
“In 2023 I extended the competitions to Sadc level with the regional gastronomy competitions that were held at Great Zimbabwe monuments on 25 May 2023, the date on which we commemorate Africa Day. Following the successful hosting of the Sadc gastronomy tourism, I was then invited to deliver a speech on women and community empowerment through promoting of traditional foods at the 8th edition of the UNWTO forum on Gastronomy in Spain in 2023. It was quite an experience as I exchanged ideas with other countries on the promotion of gastronomy tourism, women and communities empowerment,” she said.
Through her efforts to promote traditional gastronomy, Dr Mnangagwa said she was honoured by the then UNWTO which has rebranded to United Nations Tourism through scholarships in tourism courses.
“One hundred scholarships have been availed through my office. These scholarships are being distributed to beneficiaries across the country. The courses are meant to strengthen students’ knowledge in tourism including culinary tourism.
“The idea of targeting students is mainly to empower our youths and instil the concept of traditional gastronomy from generation to generation. With these courses I expect new ideas coming in from our youngsters which will further elevate tourism and education to greater levels.”
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