First Lady embraces Gokwe villagers, bringing healthcare and hope
. . . tackles rampant child marriages, drug abuse
HEALTH and Child Care Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa stole the hearts of thousands in Gokwe villages during a two-day medical outreach programme.
The programme saw her come face-to-face with the harsh realities women grapple with — cervical and breast cancer, child marriages, and drug abuse.
Her unwavering commitment to transforming vulnerable communities and saving lives was palpable as she interacted with the villagers.
The programme’s immense popularity was evident in the oversubscribed tents manned by dedicated health personnel.
Services like HIV testing, cancer screening using the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Camera (VIAC) procedure, and hypertension and diabetes checks were all offered free of charge.
Dr Mnangagwa’s visit was specifically prompted by pleas through her 575 toll-free line.
Villagers raised concerns about child marriages, the harmful influence of certain churches discouraging medical attention, and the growing problem of drug abuse.
The First Lady’s empathetic response, bringing essential healthcare and addressing these sensitive issues head-on, resonated deeply with the community.
The programme wasn’t just about medical check-ups — it was about offering hope and a listening ear.
Dr Mnangagwa engaged in heartfelt conversations with the community, counselled mothers worried about their daughters facing child marriage and spoke about young people struggling with drug addiction.
It also emerged that cervical cancer cases were increasing being caused by some women who were washing their private parts with drinks in the hope of enhancing their sexual appeal oblivious to the fact that this caused cancer.
Some openly said they were inserting unknown substances in the cervix to increase sexual pleasure, paving the way for cervical cancer to develop.
Many people suffer from deadly, and aggressive cancers. Unfortunately, they lack the ability to check and so they simply detect the cancer too late. Cervical cancer can be treated if detected early, hence the First Lady’s medical outreach programmes which mobilise communities to get screened and urge them to eat healthy traditional foods.
The mother of the nation held an interactive session with the community to tackle cases of drug abuse, child marriages and promiscuity after receiving reports on her National Gender-Based Violence Call Centre-575 that they were rearing an ugly head in the area.
In her address, the First Lady said she was on a mission to build strong and healthy families.
“I thank you for coming here where we are working together in building our families from children right up to parents. This will result in you learning lots of things when you leave this place. God created the country in its entirety with us women being part of the matrix as we raise our families and preserve our health.
“As mothers, you are important because you give life and in your absence nothing moves in the correct direction. I have come so that your health can be checked. Right now, cholera has spread, but what causes it and how do we prevent it?” she said.
The question elicited many responses with people pointing at lack of hygiene, eating unwashed fruits and cold food.
“Open defecation is not allowed. To prevent
cholera there is need for smartness starting from your body, your household, your clothes, ensuring that food is properly cooked and people eat warm or hot food. If it is here in the countryside, you need a water container that we call chigubhu gear to wash hands,” a respondent said.
Another woman urged women not to dispose of used diapers in public spaces where they end up in wells that are used by the people.
The First Lady spoke out against unhygienic practices saying people needed to maintain good hygiene standards to keep diseases like cholera at bay. “Now cholera is wreaking havoc and the disease is contagious, please seek treatment,” she said.
As the environment ambassador, the First Lady spoke against the cutting down of trees.
“God created us in our land and gave us trees and many other things around us. He said in his Word that the trees will sustain us and, therefore, we should not cut them down indiscriminately. From those trees, we get the air we breathe, fruits, shade and help curb soil erosion and climate change,” she said.
She outlined the medicinal benefits of trees and other natural herbs, and the importance
of protecting them.
“Also many of our trees and plants are medicinal such that we should keep them so that even generations to come will learn about them and also benefit. When one falls sick, you can take ginger, mutsine, moringa or other natural herbs that will work hand in hand with the medicine prescribed by doctors.
“Some of the medicines and pills are manufactured using the barks of our indigenous trees. Therefore, trees are life and we should protect them and plant more,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa spoke about her toll-free line 575 set up to combat domestic violence.
“I am receiving calls from Gokwe mainly about child marriages that are taking place here. Why are we doing this? Is it for the love of a sonin-law or nice things? We say no to those who do that and the long arm of the law will catch up with those doing so. Let children be children and let them pursue their education,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa spoke against drug and substance abuse and encouraged youths to focus on their education and shun drugs.
“Our children are ruined by drugs and they have lost normal functions of the body leading to death. Also marriages are breaking down
due to various reasons; what is it that is causing promiscuity and contributing to marriage breakdowns?”
In response, some women accused men of always being drunk resulting in failure to please their wives.
“Men are coming home drunk daily and denying us conjugal rights. We are now widows yet the husbands are still alive. Men are forcing us to cheat,” she said.
Another lady said: “Men are being promiscuous and squandering the money we would have toiled for together and this pains us a lot.”
But one female respondent left the blame squarely on women.
“We as women are forcing men out because we have left the good we did in the primacy of marriage where we cooked and washed for our husbands. We also no longer bath, spending the whole day on social media. Kugeza kwehumhandara takasiya,” she said.
On issues of cancer, Amai Mnangagwa said: “What you are inserting in your privates might not affect you today but in future you will suffer the consequences. Some said they are doing this to please their husbands, but if you die of cancer, the same man will move on with his life
and marry another woman. Let us stay healthy and avoid such harmful practices.”
On the second day, the First Lady said she felt indebted to serve the people who voted the President back into office in August last year, allowing her to continue with her programmes.
“As I stand before you here since yesterday, you are the ones who empower me from the voting choice you made by voting President Mnangagwa back into office. I am thankful. Women I have seen it fit to continue our discussions. Domestic violence is not good at all and divorce is equally bad. When married, stay in the home and preserve norms and values. We reject picky mothers-in-law who are selective in regards to their daughters-in-law. If John marries Joanna, accept her as your daughter and show her love. Some mothers-in-law are crying over daughters-in-law avo varikunzi ama 2000 who are rushing into marriages without maturity. The law bars the marrying off of children below the age of 18 and to those who are doing this, there is a law which prohibits this and you will be jailed. As mothers let us ensure our children are not married before the time is ripe and urge them to stay away from drugs,” she said.
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