By Evans Mushawevato
and Shingirirai Mutonho

THE 50th birthday anniversary of Amai Dr Grace Mugabe was spectacular in many ways, but more bright was the spirit behind the celebrations.
The First Lady who has confessed to battling various ailments in the past that has seen her go under the knife numerous times would be forgiven for making the day entirely hers.
No one would begrudge her, she is a fighter, she is a survivor and above all an achiever.
But this grand day was more about those that she loves and cares for than herself.
Rubbished by some as ‘a lavish party for the elite at the expense of the ordinary people’, the party was indeed for a worthy cause as it was her charities that stood to benefit more.
Of the over US$3 million raised in cash and kind on the night, 50 children’s homes from all provinces of the country benefited a chunk from it.
The different homes received a variety of groceries, including bath soaps, rice, mealie-meal, cooking oil and US$5 000 each.
“It is regrettable that some people choose to ignore her good deeds and rather denigrate her,” President Robert Mugabe said on the night which is surely a spat in the face of her critics.
Amai Dr Grace Mugabe shared her day with her last born son Bellamine, commonly known as Chatunga, who turned 18.
But instead of losing herself in merry-making and for a few hours think of nothing else, but herself, Amai Dr Mugabe turned the platform into an opportunity to appeal to the rest of us for support to carry the amazing work she is doing forward.
It does not sound right to call her work charity-work for obviously she does not see it as such.
To her it is a responsibility that she cannot shun, she is simply a mother with children that need to be taken care of.
The words from the legendary musician Oliver Mtukudzi’s hit song ‘Wagona’, “ndini mai vako, ndini mai vababa vako, ndini mai ndakabara mese,” could be the words that resonate in her mind as a message to those who joined her on the dance floor.
Indeed she has proved to be the mother of all.
All her children when they spoke of their mother testified of a loving and caring human being who wants the best for her children.
All the three boys revealed that their mother was a strict disciplinarian who raised them to be gentlemen.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child,” said the First Lady when she took to the podium.
Disciplining and educating the child were the principles adopted by the First Lady not only in raising her biological children but also her adopted children.
“I realised early in my life as I grew up the importance of education and the difference it makes in life,” she said.
“Education is the only chance that the girl child has to rise above the cultural customary practices that continue to cast women as inferior to their male counterparts.”
And all testified that she does not discriminate, the way she treats them is the same way she treats all the children and the less privileged she encounters as the mother of the nation.
The First Lady insists, gleaning from the testimonies of those that closely work with her that hers is not an orphanage, but a home that hers is not charity-work but a duty she must carry out.
In her own words, “Giving is not a privilege of the rich, but the sincere.”
Her amazing work has been the result of a tough character which does not accept defeat and has no respect for the word impossible.
President Robert Mugabe who could not help, but beam with pride confessed that at times he would ask if the desires and aspirations of his wife could be achieved considering that they required huge financial resources.
He even said at one time he asked if she could do the Chinese degree which the First Lady did in the Chinese language.
“Now she speaks the language and can write it too,” he said.
As the night wore off for others, it is the music and the food that they will take from the night, but for the many underprivileged children, the proceeds last for many days putting a smile on their faces.
Happy birthday Amazing Grace!