First Lady brings cheer to homeless children

01 Dec, 2019 - 00:12 0 Views
First Lady brings cheer to homeless children First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa

George Maponga, Masvingo Bureau 

Forty-five homeless children at Chambuta National Rehabilitation Centre in Chikombedzi, Masvingo, and hundreds from around Chiredzi District got an early festive season cheer after a Sport Fun Day was organised for them by First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa last week.

Scores of homeless children from Harare were taken to Chambuta where they got an opportunity to reshape their lives by going to school and learning other life-changing skills. The event, which was punctuated by various sporting activities, was also open to the community. Winners were awarded prizes ranging from uniforms and sporting equipment.

The Sport Fun Day was organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation with the aim of allowing homeless children to develop and showcase their sporting talent. 

In a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Ezra Chadzamira, the First Lady encouraged the nation to remember the plight of homeless children.

“We need to join hands as a nation in restoring and empowering homeless children for greater self-sufficiency. We need to continue educating our communities about the effects of homelessness on our society. The homeless are part of our society; it could have been you, it could have been me and it could have been us. It is saddening that these people (the homeless) have a story to tell and they are living their story,’’ she said.

The First Lady said there was need for the Chiredzi community in particular, and the nation in general, to offer a helping hand to homeless children at places like Chambuta. This could help them, she added, to realise their dreams like other normal children.

She agonised over challenges such as violence, abuse and drug abuse faced by homeless children.

Corporates and other donor organisations, said the First Lady, were supposed to continue supporting institutions such as Chambuta.

She also thanked Government for providing agricultural inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.

Amai Mnangagwa donated small grain seed to thousands of people who graced the Sport Fun Day, which she said was ideal for dry areas such as Chikombedzi. Rice and cooking oil, among other essentials, were also donated.

Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Deputy Minister Tinomuda Machakaire said Government was going to construct a multi-purpose sporting complex at Chambuta. He thanked Amai Mnangagwa for spearheading efforts to rehabilitate homeless children.

Meanwhile, chiefs in Mhondoro-Ngezi received she-goats donated by the Angel of Hope Foundation — First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa’s philanthropic arm — to empower surrounding communities.

The donation follows the First Lady’s recent visit to the area. The goats were donated to chiefs Mushava (Fanuel Machokoto), Nyika (Tobaya Marere) and Murambwa (Francis Mutemeri).

Amai Mnangagwa also encouraged women to start income-generating projects to fend off the current economic challenges. Angel of Hope Foundation representative Ms Lisa Mutuke said the project is expected to benefit every household.

“Our First Lady managed to come here to Mhondoro-Ngezi a few months ago to see projects that we were taking care of or carrying out over here. So she was so delighted by the work . . . and decided to launch the she-goat project by first empowering chiefs up until it cascades to the whole community,” she said.

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