THE quest to promote good nutrition, foster good health and guarantee food security saw First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa launch the Pfumvudza4She and Command4She programmes in Mashonaland East at a colourful ceremony attended by thousands of women drawn from the province’s districts. During the combined launch, the women showcased produce they harvested under Agric4She last year like traditional grains, different types of maize, roundnuts, groundnuts, beans, cowpeas and a variety of vegetables.
The women also displayed an array of traditional herbs and explained their medicinal benefits.The herbs included pounded muchenya roots, which the women said help cure headaches and flu; and muremberembe barks, which are dried and immersed in water to address ovarian challenges and improve reproductive health.Mubvamaropa barks, the women said, are ground and put into porridge or water to supplement blood, cure backache and address menstrual cycle challenges.
Also on display was black hybrid maize, which the exhibitors said when mixed with red maize, munhengeni roots and boiled together, the concoction cures bilharzia.Red maize, they said, is a therapy for nose bleeding.The women are also making juices, tea and jam from rosella. Rosella juice, the First Lady was told, helps those with heart problems, makes bones and teeth strong and also improves the immune system.One lady displayed scouring powder made from dried egg shells, showing that instead of throwing shells away, one can dry them, pound them and take the powder.At the event, the First Lady also held an interactive session to tackle issues affecting the community like drug abuse and domestic violence.
Song and dance illuminated the event, which also included the Command4She, under which the mother of the nation is working with the Women’s Bank and the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to provide women with all farming requirements.Herself an avid farmer, the First Lady started yesterday’s programme in Jembere village, where she joined other women in preparing Pfumvudza plots by digging holes, mulching, applying fertiliser and covering the holes.
The First Lady led in the planting of 25 fruit trees at host farmer Mrs Eunice Tora Chasima’s homestead.The trees will yield avocados, oranges, nartjies, Eureka lemons and mangoes.In her address, Dr Mnangagwa thanked the province for voting for President Mnangagwa in the August 23-24 harmonised elections, paving the way for his second five-year term.
“Let me welcome you today, ladies, by saying we are back to our old story about farming. Last year, we planted, weeded and harvested together. I have come back so that we exceed what we did last year. We want to farm so that, as mothers, we assist those in need. There are some works that we should never stop doing as women because we may tire but farming never ends.
“As women of Zimbabwe, we are hard workers. Gender-based violence and drug abuse must come to an end, but not farming.
“This season, I am encouraging women to prepare their land for Pfumvudza. Climate change has come globally, so let us not lag behind. Last year, over 100 000 women from both rural and urban areas received inputs under Agric4She and they were successful. We say no to women who do bad things and we want those who do good like farming and using one’s hands. A mother should be results-oriented,” she said.
The mother of the nation also spoke glowingly about her traditional meal cookout competitions.
“Do you know that here in Mashonaland East province, we had two women who won the national traditional meal cookout competition.
“I took them to Spain, together with women from other provinces. They showcased their skills in Spain and people enjoyed our traditional food. I implore you to farm, consume and promote our traditional foods, which are highly nutritional and medicinal,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa touched on personal hygiene, dignified dressing, drug and substance abuse.
“So, as mothers, what kind of daughter-in-law would you want and as men, what kind of son-in-law do you want? Do you want one who abuses drugs?” she asked.
The question attracted mixed responses.
An elderly woman said she wanted a daughter-in-law who dressed in a dignified manner.
“I want a daughter-in-law who does not dress in a manner that exposes her body, who is respectful, well-behaved and does not cheat on my son, kuita gumbo mumba, gumbo panze,” she said.
The views were supported by another woman, who said: “I do not want a daughter-in-law who spends time gossiping and I want one who accepts counselling. We want a daughter-in-law who respects our cultural norms and values because every homestead has its own rules.”
A young respondent, however, had divergent views.
“I am representing daughters-in-law. Mothers-in-law must assess that which is causing their daughters-in-law to cheat. This is because their sons are ruined by drugs and the love fire in the home has died down,” she said, leaving the gathering in stitches.
The First Lady took time to address challenges in families and sow seeds of love and peace in homes.She donated maize seed, fertiliser, chemicals, knapsack sprayers and fruit trees to all women.To complement the First Lady’s efforts, telecommunications company NetOne brought knapsack sprayers and shovels, which the mother of the nation handed over to the women.Another individual also donated to the First Lady knapsack sprayers for onward distribution to the women.
Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi paid glowing tribute to the First Lady for her well-meaning programmes.
“Amai, we are grateful for the woman’s granary that you started through your Agric4She programme. Women are doing wonders through the inputs that you are giving them free of charge and you are helping us to fight hunger. We also thank you for bringing back our traditional dishes. Today, you have given hundreds of women full packages of inputs and the ball is now in our court. Let us get into the fields and farm. We can do it as women under the leadership of our mother,” she said.
The host farmer, Mrs Chasima, paid tribute to the First Lady for encouraging women to participate in the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme.
“I wish to thank the First Lady who taught us the Pfumvudza practice, which helps cast away hunger. We dug the holes with our mother, applied fertiliser and manure, so we are waiting for the onset of the rains to plant. We thank the First Lady for the inputs that she brought. We received our seeds and fertiliser on time and our mother will come and help us with the weeding and assess growth. We shall also be with her at harvesting time,” she said happily.
Women’s Bank boss Dr Mandas Marikanda promised to continue working with the First Lady and the women farmers to attain good yields.
“Amai you asked us, as a bank, to assist the women farmers under Command4She. Today, you are launching the programme to assist women who can have one to three hectares, who will get adequate inputs to suit their requirements. We are working alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, which knows the farmers we work with and we identified them together. Today, you are giving the women their contracts and after harvesting, they will take their produce to the GMB with whom we have a contract. We thank you for this because we would not have thought about this were it not for you. This programme will target many women across the country and it has started here in Mashonaland East,” she said.
