Thrills, cheers as children formerly living on streets start projects
. . . heart-rending tales of rehabilitation at First Lady’s skills centre
EVIDENCE of total transformation gives the former street children hope making them punch the air with excitement and look at life in general with a new gaze.
Prostitution, drug abuse and petty crime had become part and parcel of the children’s lives on the streets of Harare where survival was a daily struggle until the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa came into their lives and provided them with all the basics including shelter, food, clothes and is equipping them with life skills to fend for themselves.
Yesterday, Amai Mnangagwa, who has a passion for the total empowerment of children, paid them a visit at her Life skills development centre in Mbare, assessing the various projects they are doing as she also interacted with them over a healthy meal and sporting activities.
There was also a chance to kick and pass the ball as the First Lady sought to motivate the children, make them bond and entertained.
Angel of Hope Foundation girls (former street children) Vs Mbare girls played a netball match and AOH won 11-0.
Amai Mnangagwa also took part in the game to motivate the girls.
In soccer Angel of Hope FC played Kuyamurana FC.
AOH lost the game.
There was also a friendly netball match between team madzimai (women from the apostolic sect) and a team made of women from other various churches which was coached by Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Chaplin Christine Phiri.
The mother of the nation, whose warm heart has captured the imagination of the world and won her countless accolades, gave the children new clothes and taught them the importance of maintaining good personal hygiene through washing and drying clothes on the washing line she affixed at the centre.
She provided toiletries, buckets and towels for them to bathe.
Dr Mnangagwa joined the children in harvesting a variety of crops they grew through irrigation at the centre like green mealies, carrots, cabbages, tomatoes, onions, green pepper, rape, covo, pumpkin leaves and spinach.
The vegetables and green mealies from the garden were part of the menu prepared for lunch by Amai Mnangagwa, the children both boys and girls and women from the community.
Apart from gardening, the children are undertaking other various projects at the centre that include poultry production, detergents making, carpentry and waste management.
Children at the centre paid tribute to the First Lady for the life skills she imparted to them.
“We were taught life skills like recycling by the First Lady through the Environmental Management Agency. They taught us about the separation of waste where we take plastic which we mill to make plastic chairs, bin liners and several other plastic things.
“We are using aluminium cans to make large pots. We also make straps that are used in the packaging of bricks. As a young person living in the street, I had never ventured into business, but with the life skill courses that we are doing courtesy of the First Lady, we are now employers.”
“We can now take other children from the streets whom we spend time with giving them work to do. I can assign one to pick plastic containers, the other cans and the other one plastics. We have been taught carpentry where we make cupboards, headboards and sofas that can be used to adorn people’s homes.
“We are transforming from street kids to wealthy kids all because of Amai’s love,” said one of the children.
Asked by the First Lady about his vision, the boy said: “As a young person who had no vision I now see myself being an employer in the end doing something as big as opening my furniture shop in the central business district (CBD).”
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