Zimbabwe: First Lady’s Initiative Uplifts Widows

Walter Nyamukondiwa

Mash West Bureau Chief

The footprints of the First Lady’s empowerment initiatives continue to spread with a group of 22 widows under the Sanyati First Lady’s Widows Association now boasting a thriving goat and poultry project.

From a donation of three goats, groceries and financial assistance in June, the widows now have 34 goats, broilers, home bakery for confectionery products, tuckshops and run a sewing project.

The women also run the Rimuka Vegetable Market where several people are earning a living.

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Widow, Mrs Prisca Mazorodze said the First Lady had restored dignity to widows who struggled with life after losing their husbands.

“As widows, we had no plan and we were being looked down upon by society, but Amai (Mnangagwa) came to Patchway in Chakari and gave us widows financial support while others got groceries,” she said.

“We used the money donated to buy goats to add to the three we had received which we intend to wean off and give other widows to also be empowered.”

The initiative, she said, had also taken off the burden of loneliness as widows can now meet and share insights into life and its challenges.

Another widow said the First Lady had instilled a belief in widows that they could sustain their lives.

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Sanyati First Lady Widows Association chairperson Mrs Sarah Mabvuramiti hailed the First Lady for restoring dignity to widows through empowerment initiatives.

“We have seen many widows being empowered and we would like to thank the First Lady and the community for working together with us,” she said.

“We are running the market here at Rimuka with the support of the First Lady and other stakeholders including the Minister (Chombo) and the Sanyati District Development Coordinator (DDC). We now have goats, chickens sewing and confectionery projects.”

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo is shown buns being baked by widows under the Sanyati First Lady Widows Association

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo toured the projects in Luwana, Chakari and Kadoma to assess the impact of the First Lady’s projects on the widows.

“We are following up on the programme initiated by First Lady Amai Mnangagwa after she donated some funds to the widow, groceries and goats,” said Minister Chombo.

“I am very impressed with what the widows here are doing. The goats are multiplying and I can see you are now baking buns, doughnuts. The seed that the First Lady planted is flourishing.”

Widows in other districts, she said, should emulate what those in Sanyati are doing to empower themselves and shun unnecessary conflicts.

The association now has 3 000 members throughout Sanyati district who are all expected to benefit through pass-on initiatives and trickle-down effect.

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