By Rutendo Jiri

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa advocated for the restoration of African traditional norms and values to help curb increasing cases of social immorality and juvenile delinquency among youths.

Amai Mnangagwa was engaging visitors at her exhibition stand at the Harare Agricultural Show yesterday while serving a delicacy of traditional meals in a thatched hut.

The First Lady underscored the need for women in general and mothers in particular to teach their children authentic values of Ubuntu so that they are cultured at tender ages.  This, she said was key to fight the increasing reported cases of juvenile delinquency, immorality and lack of respect among the youths.

Amai Mnangagwa’s remarks reinforce her work with spouses of traditional chiefs and village headman across the country. Her work seeks to promote traditional ways of life which she believes are central to promoting and preserving the Zimbabwean way of life.  

A resolution from one of her engagements was for spouses of chiefs and headman to set up counseling stations for young girls and boys in their communities under the “nhanga” and “dare” sessions.

These traditional counseling stations are expected to be mediums to inculcate the values of Ubuntu amongst children at tender ages.

Through her Angel of Hope Foundation, Amai Mnangagwa has promoted the empowerment of women in their communities by promoting their participation in income generating projects such as poultry production, goat rearing, market gardening and sewing.

Her work in restoring African traditional values and empowerment of women and the girl child saw her empowering some former commercial sex workers in market gardening and detergent making to earn an honest living.

The First Lady’s exhibition stand was graced by children from the Mathew Rusike Children’s Home who participated in an entertainment gala of songs, dance, poems and folktales which left visitors and onlookers in stitches after roaring in laughter from their amusing acts.