BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
FIRST lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is on Wednesday expected to grace Mauya Kumusha, a cultural centre located in Marlborough, to have an appreciation of the activities done by Afrodrop in grafting children in their culture and tradition.
On Africa Day, Afrodrop gave kids a taste of their African culture at the centre. Children from ECD to Grade 7 clad in different African clothing were taught to pound using mortar and pestle, manual grinding and fetch firewood. among other things.
Traditional foods that were served on the day included sweet potatoes, samp, mahewu, pumpkin porridge, honey, dried vegetables, madora/amacimbi and millet porridge.
Kids were conscientised about the roles of gota (bachelor pad), hozi, dare (court yard) and dura (grain store house).
They had a rare treat playing mbira, hosho and beating the drums.
Kids also got to know traditional games such as nhodo and tsoro and how to use the bow and arrows.
Mody Severa, Afrodrop executive director, told this publication that all was set for the first lady’s visit, with a lot of activities lined up such as cooking competitions as well as traditional games.
“After successfully hosting the Africa Day commemoration on May 25, 2021, we are happy to announce that the first lady will be visiting our cultural centre Mauya Kumusha on the June 16, a day that is of paramount importance not only to us, but the continent at large because this is the day that we get to know that we get to commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC),” Severa said.
“This day and the visit is so important to us because it shows to us that the first lady is up to date with activities and programs that compliment her efforts to conscientise not only the elderly, but also the young generation.”
DAC is celebrated every year on June 16 — the celebrations are based on themes identified and agreed upon by the committee after consultations with children organised by partner associations.
DAC was instituted in 1991 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the then Organisation of African (OAU) instituted in memory of June 16, 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa.
Since then, the OAU and its successor, the African Unity, have used the DAC to remember these children, to celebrate children in Africa as well as to inspire a sober reflection and action towards addressing the plethora of challenges that children in Africa face on a daily basis.
The theme for the DAC 2021 is 30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children.