Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, sukulwenkosi.dube@chronicle.co.zw
WOMEN have been urged to embrace First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa’s “Traditional Cook-Out Competition” as part of efforts to unlock great empowerment and life-changing opportunities.
Speaking recently during a Gwanda District Traditional Cook-Out Competition, Gwanda Tshitaudze legislator, Cde Fisani Moyo, said the hosting of the competitions at the district level will go a long way in incorporating more women to take part in the programme.
The event was held concurrently with the Gwanda District’s belated International Women’s Day commemoration.
The Traditional Cook-Out competition programme was pioneered by the First Lady in 2021 out of the realisation that the consumption of indigenous foods has been on the decrease in the country, as most people are opting for fast foods, which expose citizens to the negative after-effects of some of the processed foods.
Ms Nontokozo Tshili came out first in the competition followed by Ms Onica Mangena who came second and Ms Esther Ncube who emerged third. The competition had 19 women.
The winners will represent the district at the provincial competition, which will be held in Beitbridge next month. All the 19 participants received prize money, a certificate and food hampers.
Cde Moyo urged women to use the “Cook-Out Competition” to display their cultural diversity and challenged young women to take an active part in the programme. The legislator also said recipes should be passed from one generation to the other to ensure their preservation.
“The traditional cook-out competition provides a platform for various tribes and communities to showcase their delicacies. It also provides a platform for knowledge sharing and sharing of skills on how to best prepare these traditional dishes. Traditional foods are key to our health as a country,” he said.
“Food plays a crucial role in defining our identity as a country and it’s a crucial part of our tourism and hospitality sector. I’m glad that these competitions have cascaded down to the district level, which shows that we are leaving no one and no place behind.
“We hope to see these cook-out competitions being held even at ward level as we want to see more women taking part and embracing the programme,” he said.
Cde Moyo urged women to take the cook-out competitions seriously as they could unlock great opportunities, urging the women to safeguard their recipes.
He said preparing traditional foods was a great way to remind the youths about their origins and traditions and applauded participating women for applying diversity and creativity as they prepared their dishes.
Cde Moyo also said the cook-out competition was a great way of reviving traditional dishes within the communities, especially in urban areas.
He said women continue to play a crucial role in developing their communities hence their input must be celebrated.
The legislator noted concerns over gender-based violence and how it affects development, as it hinders women from realising their full potential. “As we celebrate the belated International Women’s Day, let’s take time to reflect on the important role women are playing in developing their communities. Let’s all take a stand against gender-based violence as it is killing our nation instead of building it,” he said.
Ms Nontokozo Tshili who came out first in the competition said the cook-out platform has helped her to identify her talent in cooking. She said she is looking forward to representing the district well in the provincial competitions. Ms Tshili said she will go on to develop and enrich her skills in cooking. “I would like to thank the First Lady for introducing this programme and I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn from others and develop my skills. This programme has brought empowerment to us as women,” she said.
“I’m glad to be one of the women who will be representing the district at the provincial competitions and I promise to do my level best,” she said. —— @DubeMatutu.