Gweru — First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday urged people to take up life-changing opportunities, including enrolling for short courses, through open learning at Zimbabwe Open University.
She said this to hundreds of people drawn from the eight districts of the Midlands Province that thronged Gweru to register for the various courses being offered through a partnership between her Angel of Hope Foundation and the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU).
There are many short courses in various fields that are being offered under the partnership with 1 204 having enrolled at yesterday function.
Midlands Province became the eight province to benefit from the nationwide programme that has been embraced by many.
The programme was launched in Harare last year and has been rolled out to other provinces such as Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East.
Thousands are benefiting the Angel of Hope/ZOU partnership, including former ladies of the night, people with disabilities, the elderly, teenage mothers, young adults and fathers, socially-excluded ethnic groups, child-headed families, orphans, drug abusers and school dropouts.
It was a hive of activity yesterday as people sang, danced and ululated in honour of Amai who offered them a chance to acquire university certification freely.
A former lady of the night, who registered for the short courses, said she sees a better future courtesy of the learning programme.
“Sex work was no longer viable and I was failing to make ends meet. Age is now catching up and clients are now preferring young ladies of the night.
“I am so happy with Amai’s programme, which is teaching us new skills and encourages us to embark on projects,” she said.
A teenage mother, Ms Rumbidzai Makaringa, said the First Lady’s programme of empowering women was enlightening.
“I glad to be embracing her ideas of doing backyard projects. I want to thank Amai Mnangagwa for empowering us through various programmes which encourage us to learn and work with our hands,” she said.
Another former lady of the night said her former profession was hard, and thanked Amai Mnangagwa for advising them to abandon the job and start self-help projects.
“We were doing immoral things in the streets, but through Amai’s programmes, I have ditched prostitution and now focusing on learning and doing viable projects,” she said.
The mother of the nation said it was a privilege and honour to launch the community empowerment drive through open learning, to benefit marginalised communities.
“If we fail to take opportunities that build ourselves as individuals within our families and communities, it is no other person’s responsibility to come and do it for us,” she said.
“Education is a dependable fishing tool capable of transforming personal perceptions and livelihoods of individuals, communities and the whole nation.
“Education is an empowering factor that enables individuals to manoeuvre social mobility, break gender biases and experience freedoms as community members strive to reach self-actualisation.
“Education is the most powerful and proven vehicle that promotes sustainable development and cushion individuals against self-destruction, elimination of gender vices and wealth disparities as the country strives to achieve universal human capital development.”
She added that Education 5.0 challenges institutions of higher learning to provide communities with tailor-made, quality university education, and ZOU had appropriately responded by partnering Angel of Hope Foundation in its developmental initiatives and activities across the country.
Amai Mnangagwa said her empowerment programmes were consistent with the collective aspirations and determination of Zimbabweans to achieve an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society by 2030.
The Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU partnership, she said, was set to mark the transformation of the lives of people in the Midlands Province by giving them a rare hope for the future.
“Free community empowerment through open learning has come and this day will mark the beginning of greater things for some of you. Once you put your mind to uplifting yourself through education, you will never stop.
“This is what is happening in Epworth where the programme started. Those who tasted the sweetness of the life-changing short courses are still in school, having enrolled as intake two ZOU students and doing more life-changing short courses,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa said those in the Midlands province who never thought they would enrol at university due to old age and social status, were being afforded the opportunity freely.
“The enrolment is open for all so that no one is left behind. As President Mnangagwa always says, ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. It starts at personal level then family, society up to national level,” she said.
“It is important to recognise that women and girls by nature are caregivers in their families and communities.
“Observations and exposure I have personally made, the lived experiences that have been shared with me as I traverse the length and breadth of this beautiful nation interfacing with various communities, justify this indisputable fact.”
Amai Mnangagwa said women and girls were survivors and pillars of strength wherever they were, though society may view them otherwise.
“Today’s event marks a positive development in terms of attention, recognition and inclusion of the existence and importance of women and girls in the Midlands province,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa said the zeal to empower those disadvantaged in society pushes her to partner for a good cause.
ZOU has so far registered over 9 000 Angel of Hope Foundation beneficiaries to undertake ZOU’s life-changing short courses, she said.
And out of 3 097 trained beneficiaries, 981 have so far graduated leaving 2 116 who are yet to receive their certificates during a graduation ceremony to be officiated by Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU.
Said the First Lady: “The programme is meant to transform lives of individuals, communities and indeed our nation as the country advances towards Vision 2030 that targets to leave no one and no place behind.”
Amai Mnangagwa said in the 21st century, community marginalisation, gender disparities, social exclusion and discrimination of groups of people based on societal perceptions, socially constructed statuses and roles, individual location and ethnic standing, among other ills have been getting international and regional forums attention.
“The United Nations, Africa Union and Southern African Development Community as well as individual nations are tackling complex developmental challenges aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals through SDG integration in national blueprints such as the National Development Strategy 2021-2025 as is the case in Zimbabwe.
“In Zimbabwe the NDS1 2021-2025 has added home-grown weight to the UN SDGs also known as the global goals which were adopted in September 2015,” she said.
“There should be a universal call to act and end poverty, all forms of hunger and malnutrition, discrimination against women and girls, with a view to achieve good health, inclusive and quality education for all,” said Amai Mnangagwa.
She said that should also include full and productive employment as well as decent work for all women and men by 2030, buttressing strong global, regional, national, community, family and individual partnerships and cooperation as is the case between Angel of Hope and ZOU.
“Zimbabwe belongs to a community of nations which committed itself to prioritising development that encompasses community members who are furthest behind.”
“The 2015 SDGs were designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa also took time to tackle social ills and urging people not to take illicit drugs, while also advising the community to report to police the peddlers of the drugs.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Midlands, Larry Mavima, said the province was blessed to host Amai for three consecutive days, empowering the needy.
He said the nation was blessed to have Amai Mnangagwa, who is a pillar of strength and has people at heart.
ZOU Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Gundani said education was the gateway to success, hence their partnership with Amai Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation, a development that has transformed many lives countrywide.
“The courses are meant to empower people in various disciplines of choice. Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy implies the uplifting of livelihoods of people, community and the nation.
“Education is the key to success that will lead the nation to Vision 2030. As ZOU under the leadership of Amai, leading from the front, we are offering short courses open for both women and men. They are being afforded a chance to choose a course of choice,” he said.
National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe, former Senator Annah Shiri, said Amai Mnangagwa was an amazing person.
“We thank you Amai for affording women with a chance to enrol at university. Amai is a mother of all regardless of stature even those who are despised in society. She has love and respect for the people,” she said.
“Amai wants women to continue climbing on the social ladder and education will help us rise to key decision making positions.”
Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Ministry representative Mrs Zodwa Chivi urged women to embrace the empowerment projects.
Mrs Chivi said there were funds including the Zimbabwe Development Fund, which women should take advantage of.