The First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, has been widely praised for spearheading initiatives that empower women across communities nationwide.
Speaking on the side-lines of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi Tourism Expo in Mutare, Kwekwe Ward 1 Councillor, Dieless Muradzikwa, applauded the First Lady for introducing training programmes on chicken-rearing projects. She also commended the Cookout Competitions pioneered by the First Lady, describing them as a valuable platform for promoting gastronomy tourism and preserving Zimbabwe’s culinary heritage.
Councillor Muradzikwa further stressed the positive impact of these initiatives on young people.
“We are conducting Cookout Competitions in various wards and we have expanded to training students in schools. At St Martins Secondary School, in Kwekwe, we discovered that some students, particularly boys, have remarkable talent in cooking.”
Public Relations Councillor for Kwekwe Ward 14, Mavis Gatsheni, also expressed gratitude to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the First Lady for facilitating partnerships with Old Mutual and CABS. She indicated that through these partnerships, women were being provided with start-up loans that enable them to establish income-generating projects, capable of improving people’s livelihoods.
“We are pleased that the President and First Lady are empowering women, in Kwekwe, through partnerships. Old Mutual and Cabs are loaning individuals up to US$350 as business capital, which is enough to start a project, with an affordable monthly repayment scheme,” Councillor Gatsheni said.
This year’s Tourism Expo was run under the theme “Devolving Sustainable Tourism Development – Our Future.” Most exhibitors showcased innovative tourism products, ranging from tours and accommodation services, culture and heritage tourism as well as gastronomy, demonstrating a commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth within the industry.
