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Tendai Rupapa in Victoria Falls
FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s decision to take children from humble communities on a magnificent trip with exciting packages which include a boat cruise and a helicopter ride bodes well for domestic tourism and broadens the children’s horizons, a pilot, captain and a tour operator have said.

If there is a way to kill more than two birds with one stone, then this trip is one as the children from Thwayithwayi Village, a San community are learning a lot while also getting entertained.

It is their first time to be afforded such a rare opportunity and stepping out of their community situated in Makhulela area, Bulilima District, is something they never dreamt of but the mother of the nation made it possible.

She gave the children who are booked at Cresta Sprayview Hotel hope for a brighter future.

In an interview after taking the children on a helicopter ride, public relations and corporate affairs manager for Shearwater Group of Companies, which include the Zambezi Helicopter Company, Mr Clement Mukwasi said the gesture helped nurture domestic tourists and made children reap an educational dividend.

“We are grateful that the First Lady has brought these children here for their helicopter adventure where they had an aerial view of the Victoria falls. This is the beginning of nurturing for domestic tourists. This has never happened in the history of our country that people from the remotest parts of our country are brought up to Victoria Falls to enjoy tourism so we really applaud the efforts and what the First Lady has done. We are also here to support such efforts and ensure that we actually grow and nurture domestic tourism through activities that the First Lady has led us on.

We think that this should actually be spread beyond Plumtree,” he said.

The gesture, Mr Mukwasi said, must be extended to all vulnerable communities and thanked the First Lady for also working with the Doma community in Kanyemba, a previously marginalised community.

“As the business community or tour operators, we must also consider the people who are in Kanyemba, people who have no chance at all of coming to enjoy one of their pristine destinations that is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, their heritage as a nation they may also not have a chance of coming here because of certain disadvantages.

“The people who are vulnerable must also be looked after by persons who have got means and people who have got hearts so we think that we have actually been given a challenge by the First Lady. We are going to take up the challenge as tour operators to ensure that we follow her footsteps and bring about children who are also in vulnerable communities to enjoy our activities.

“Instead of us just consuming our profits I think we must turn on our profits to the community and enjoy what we enjoy together with the most vulnerable parts of our communities. Otherwise this is a great job by Amai, we have never seen it in the history of our operations.”

Mr Mukwasi said he had never seen such favour being extended to vulnerable communities in the 20 years he has worked in the tourism industry.

“For myself as an individual, I have been here for the past 20 years and I have never seen a person coming from the rural areas, a person who comes from parents who probably do not have resources to enjoy tourism coming through to board a plane, coming through to board a boat, coming through to sleep in a hotel, coming through to just walk in the rain forest, coming through to share food with us.

“I am actually at a loss for words on how best I can describe it but this is philanthropic work which has gone far beyond expectation. It has gone far beyond what we probably might have seen in the past. We therefore, call upon all other tour operators also to partner the First Lady and ensure that this programme does not end with children that have come from Plumtree, but also with children that may come from elsewhere, especially those that are coming from vulnerable communities.”

And the children did not disappoint at all.

They were singing and dancing expressing their excitement and showcasing their San dance routines that include Boro dance. They sang, ululated and whistled with joy much to the amusement of foreign tourists who also joined in as they waited for their turn to board the helicopter.

Zambezi Helicopter Company general manager Mr Collin Rupiya who flew the children was awestruck and described the trip as a career guidance opportunity for the children.

“We would like to thank the First lady for coming here with the kids from around the country. It’s been a pleasure hosting and working with these children. This process is not only for entertaining the kids, but it’s career guidance for them that they open up their minds, broaden their horizons as they come into the world. They can be bigger than what they were in the remote areas so we thank Amai, the First Lady for promoting vulnerable children within our communities,” he said with excitement.

Equally happy to have spent time with the children was the Shearwater Adventures boat captain Collin Ndlovu who recounted how the children asked a flurry of questions after seeing hippopotamuses in the water and elephants on islands during the sunset cruise.

“First of all I would like to thank Amai Mnangagwa, our First Lady for the visit that she paid to Victoria Falls and bringing the children that I had an experience with in the vessel. It was a wow, thank you very much mhamha for your love towards disadvantaged communities.

It was an experience that I took time with these children teaching them what we have in this environment in the Zambezi River and the vessel. I noticed that they miss something of that sort and I also learnt a lot from them. I am looking forward to most of them coming to join us to learn more about this environment which is far away from their areas,” he said.

The children arrived in Bulawayo from Bulilima on Thursday and were warmly received at Motsamai Lodge where they spent a night.

They left for Victoria Falls the following day aboard Air Zimbabwe and were transported to their hotel by Love for Africa. After resting, they were taken on a game drive courtesy of Sebna Tours.

They had a lion and elephant encounter which was made possible by Feasts of Beasts wildlife and through the eyes of an Elephant activity which is under Shearwater Adventures.

On Saturday they were taken for a bridge tour among other exciting activities while on Sunday they were joined by the First Lady at Crocodile Farm and Snake Pit which is under the Zambezi Crocodiles.

Before the helicopter ride and sunset cruise on Monday, the Children had earlier been taken on tour of the Victoria Falls and rain forest courtesy of Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority.

They travelled back to Bulawayo yesterday and slept at Macnamara Lodge before proceeding to Bulilima today after a week-long adventure.

The children surely have a story to tell.