The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa recently had a first of its kind interaction with spouses of diplomats that included wives of the European Union, Pakistani, German, Greek ambassadors to Zimbabwe among others where they had a walk and shared traditional tea in celebration of women’s month without regard for one’s colour or creed.
The delegates led by head of diplomatic spouses’ association and wife to Pakistan ambassador Mrs Nadia M Abbasi included wife to EU ambassador Mrs Maria Von Kirchmann, wife to EU Head of Co-operation department Mrs Jessika Guzman, EU Head of Financial department wife Mrs Ramajana Mabita, Greek Ambassador’s wife Mrs Katerina Karatsolis and German Ambassador’s wife Mrs Marianne Beck-Volz.
In appreciation of Zimbabwean culture, the international community had a national fabric which they all donned with pride during the health walk.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa plants a tree during the Walk and Tea with the First Lady, as part of the belated International Women’s Day celebration in Harare
They all thanked Dr Mnangagwa for bringing women together, sharing ideas and learning one another’s cultures, adding that such kind of interactions should continue.
Women’s month is celebrated in March annually and during the walk, the diplomats’ spouses were joined by women drawn from the country’s provinces.
The health walk took the women to the Botanical Gardens where they saw and learnt about different plants and their benefits.
Amai Mnangagwa who is passionate about consuming traditional dishes which are healthy and medicinal, prepared traditional tea for her guests which included Zumbani, Makoni, Mufandichimuka (resurrection).
She served the tea with yams (madhumbe), pumpkins (nhanga), sweet potatoes (mbambaira), cow peas (nyemba) pan cakes, round and ground nuts.
During the health walk around the garden, the women were shown various species of trees such as Moringa, Coffee bush, Tea bush, Rubber tree used to make rubber, Macadamia nuts, Baobab, Mopane and Muranga.
Other trees they learnt about included a fig tree which was planted in 1962, Muvengahonye used to treat animals by removing maggots, rain tree, wild mangoes and fever tree.
After the walk, Dr Mnangagwa who is the country’s environment ambassador led the diplomats wives in planting trees including Muranga which the Forestry Commission said was on the verge of extinction.
The wife to the EU ambassador Mrs Kirchmann said she had learnt a lot from Dr Mnangagwa and about Zimbabwean traditional food. She expressed willingness to grow in her garden some of the plants she had seen in the Botanical garden.
“We had a walk in the beautiful Botanical garden learning about indigenous plants, herbs their benefits and how they were used by our grandmothers where we come from and your ancestors here in Zimbabwe.
“It was a beautiful experience to see a clean park, a beautiful one how it keeps variety of plants and we realised that with all the technology and information we are forgetting our roots were we come from,” she said.
She further applauded Amai Mnangagwa for the serving them Zimbabwe’s traditional meals.
“We had a beautiful breakfast prepared by the First Lady with all local ingredients.
“Beautiful choice of teas, herbal ones and I think this knowledge about indigenous plants should be spread.
“I am planning to get seedlings and plant them at home, serve people especially our European friends and visitors who visit our residence and to tell them my favourite was the resurrection tea.
“It is a good thing that the First Lady is promoting the consumption of traditional dishes which are healthy and medicinal,” she said.
Pakistan Ambassador’s wife thanked the First Lady for hosting them, bringing women together during the women’s month.
“This is a way to strengthen our bonds as women despite one’s colour. We really appreciate the First Lady for her efforts to empower women from Zimbabwe and we would like to learn more from her and keep this inspiring interaction going on between diplomatic spouses as well as Zimbabwe ladies.”
“Our goal here in Zimbabwe as spouses for ambassadors has been to empower women so we can work together.
“Amai Mnangagwa is an inspiration,” she said.
She added: “We love Zimbabwean food. Its organic, healthy, very nice and delicious we tried the Zumbani and Resurrection tea. It is delicious.
“This kind of interaction gives us a chance to try local foods and to know about local culture.”
The First Lady applauded women for joining in the tour of the Botanical gardens, which she described as a “beautiful oasis right in the heart of our capital city.”
“Walking through to the gardens, it is our pleasure to share with you and learning some of the plants that makeup our cultural heritage.
“These are some of the medicinal plants our ancestors used for hundreds of years to treat ailments,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa thanked Mr Chris Chipano head of institute at Botanical gardens and his team, for creating and care-taking the garden thus helping to preserve the nature based customs and traditions of Zimbabwe.
“As women and mothers, we all share the underlying duty of care of health and well-being. It has been a very pleasant way to spend a weekend, with a short exercise together.
“If this is your first time visiting these grounds, I hope you will come again, and spend time with your families and friends, and enjoy the different species of trees, flowers and plants and the vast array of birdlife, that this haven provides,” she said.
Commenting on the national fabric, the First Lady said it was a symbol of harmony for the country, carries pride, unity and identity of all people.
“I hope you have met some new friends today, please enjoy the teas and the gardens. In an extended month of festivities, I wish you a very happy international women’s day celebration,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa informed her guests that this year in May there is going to be Sadc competitions on traditional dishes to be held in Victoria Falls.
She said during the competitions they will be looking at how the food is prepared and consumed.
“We want to improve and bring awareness of our food with most being medicinal. We do not want our traditional dishes to die,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa implored women to join her noble cause of uplifting other women.
“We should keep encouraging fellow women to work harder. Inspiring them always having in mind that there is someone who is looking up to us,” she said.
Mrs Rachael Mugwagwa from Manicaland province who also took part in the health walk, was delighted at having interacted with other women from other provinces and different countries.
“I am glad since this is first of its kind. That in the women’s month we are invited by the First Lady to celebrate the belated women’s day through a walk. It was so nice and this will keep us fit.
“We have learnt a lot in the garden. The traditional food was so nice, this country is so rich in everything,” she said.
Mrs Ratidzo Bereke from Bulawayo said, “We really had so much fun being around our loving First Lady who brought women together. She urged us to be united as women. It was really a beautiful gesture from the First Lady,” she said.
Mr Chapano said the garden was imitating trees dotted around the country and beyond the borders.
He said the purpose of the garden was to preserve and conserve trees while teaching from primary up to tertiary level significance of each tree and plants.
“We select the trees basing on usefulness and also those that are at risk of extinction,” he said.
