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Peter Matika, [email protected]

FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), has capacitated 46 432 people with life-changing skills across the country, thereby enhancing their contribution to national development.

Yesterday more than 5 000 people from Bulawayo province graduated with certificates after completing the third intake short courses through the same programme. 

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Cde Judith Ncube, presided over the graduation ceremony on behalf of Dr Mnangagwa and handed over 5 444 certificates to graduates drawn from across the province.

The colourful event was held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre and had graduates who took part in different courses such as agriculture, cultural heritage, entrepreneurship, business management, early childhood development, basic computer literacy, records management and nurse aide.

The First Lady said the success of the programme was a huge demonstration of the will-power of the underprivileged members of society to achieve personal transformation.

This buttresses the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aspires to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030, she said. 

The First Lady said for Zimbabwe to prosper, developing a sound knowledge and skills base was critical as enunciated under the National Development Strategy (NDS1) hence the partnership between the Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU towards community empowerment through open learning that embraces equity, diversity and inclusion.

“For Bulawayo Metropolitan Province the inaugural certification ceremony took place here at ZITF on 28 December 2022. It combined first and second intakes and a total of 2 883 Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU beneficiaries were certified,” said the First Lady.

“To date nationwide, 46 432 Angel of Hope Foundation beneficiaries have received ZOU’s fully-funded lifelong, life-changing short courses in agriculture, basic counselling, disability management, sign language, health behaviour, basic records management, cultural heritage, entrepreneurship, business management, early childhood development, nurse aide, palliative care for the elderly and basic computer literacy.”

Dr Mnangagwa said the programme presents an opportunity that demystifies hidden potential of the socially excluded, the downtrodden, written off and dismissed community members.

“I want to applaud the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development for supporting and endorsing Angel of Hope Foundation and the ZOU partnership for community empowerment through open learning, whose inclusive approaches guarantee leaving no one and no place behind,” said the First Lady.

She said she is truly humbled by the record-breaking number of graduates in Bulawayo, which demonstrates the huge demand for life-changing short courses.

Reiterating the importance of education as a tool for fighting different societal ills, the First Lady also commended ZOU for coming up with such courses that are changing livelihoods in the province.

On Thursday about 2 000 people from Matabeleland North Province graduated with certificates in Hwange after completing the second intake short course training through the same programme.

The First Lady challenged graduates to take leading roles in preventing families and community members from peddling and consuming drugs and substances.

She emphasised her appreciation and commended graduates for their show of dedication, which she said contributes to the milestones by the Angel of Hope Foundation/ZOU partnership for community empowerment through distance open learning.

“Inclusive human capital development that leaves no one and no place behind guarantees enhanced and sustainable living standards of community members as the country strives towards the attainment of a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society,” said Dr Mnangagwa.

The short course training programme is an all-inclusive ongoing initiative meant to benefit disadvantaged communities and is poised to reach all corners of Zimbabwe for knowledge and learning as the basis for renewal and transformation of the once marginalised communities.

The First Lady said Zimbabwe’s moral fibre binds the nation together and must be protected through fighting menaces such as drug and illicit substance abuse and other pandemics such as cholera.

ZOU Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Gundani, said the courses have capacitated the recipients with lifelong life-changing skills, which are an excellent way of investing in one’s career and personal development.