Sunday 22 September 2019

HARVARD HONOURS FIRST LADY


First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa was yesterday appointed honorary ambassador of Harvard University Global Health Catalyst in recognition of the work she is conducting in Zimbabwe’s health sector.

Director of Global Health Catalyst at Harvard Medical School, Professor Wilfred Ngwa, accepted the First Lady’s invitation for the university to conduct its health summit in Zimbabwe on dates to be announced, adding that the university will bring in investors in healthcare and economic development.

Amai Mnangagwa was given her new role on the sidelines of the ongoing 74th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Prof Ngwa said the medical school had been following the First Lady’s charity work.

“We are alive to the fact that she has been championing and leading programmes that are to do with health across the Zimbabwe, including the underprivileged,” he said.

“We accorded her the new role to honour the work she is doing for the people of Zimbabwe, hence we want her to go across Africa.”

The university pledged its support towards Amai Mnangagwa’s work, mainly in the health sector. 

“I think that having a Harvard-Zimbabwean First Lady partnership will be a very powerful tool that can set an example to other first ladies in Africa,” said Prof Ngwa.

“We are happy that she has accepted the role.

“We are going to engage our partners across the world so that we support her work and that will make her work go further.”

In her acceptance speech, Amai Mnangagwa vowed to continue working hard to ensure there was affordable and quality healthcare for everyone.

“I want to thank Harvard Medical School for recognising the works that I am doing in my country through my Angel of Hope Foundation which I believe persuaded them to appoint me their ambassador,” she said.

“I will not tire and I promise to continue working hard because it is within my nature that when I focus on a task, I make sure that it is done. We are mothers of our nations, hence we should show commitment and work harder for our countries. 

“The appointment is a great achievement and it is not for me alone, but for the nation of Zimbabwe because they have also pledged to assist our country, especially in the health sector. It is indeed a milestone achievement.”

The First Lady was recently appointed as ambassador of another US-based organisation, Days for Girls, in recognition of her work.

Again, she was voted vice president of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in recognition of her philanthropic work and assistance to the less-privileged.

Also this year, the First Lady scooped the 2019 African Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award and the Pan-African Humanitarian Award. Herald

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