MAMA’S KITCHEN HUT REPORT: FIRST LADY’S NATIONAL COOKOUT COMPETITION 2026 EVENT: 2026 National Traditional Cookout Competition Finals DATE: Monday 25 May 2026 – Africa Day VENUE: Mbizo Stadium, Kwekwe, Midlands Province GUEST OF HONOUR: Her Excellency Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, First Lady of Zimbabwe COVERAGE: Mama’s Kitchen Hut + GloTv Crew on the ground 1. WINNERS & PRIZES 126 contestants from all 10 provinces competed across 5 categories. Winners received CASH PRIZES, FOUR-PLATE GAS STOVES, GAS CYLINDERS AND HAMPERS. 2026 CATEGORY WINNERS: 1. COMMUNITY CATEGORY: Mrs Edith Takasimba from Harare - overall winner 2. CHURCHES CATEGORY: Sibani Mukoyi from United Methodist Church 3. YOUTH CATEGORY: Enia Choto from Johanne Masowe eChishanu 4. STUDENTS CATEGORY: Tinotenda Mushaninga from Chinhoyi University of Technology 5. PROFESSIONAL CHEFS: Naume Chisango from Elephant Hills Hotel 6. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES - CHURCH: Anesu Munangarwa from Christ Embassy Church 7. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES - COMMUNITY: Esina Hlabate from Manicaland GRAND PRIZE MOMENT: Winner received $2000.00 CASH, TROPHY, AND CERTIFICATE from the First Lady 2. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS - CULTURAL EXCHANGE: South Korean nationals performed "Iva Gamba" dressed in Zimbabwe’s NATIONAL FABRIC - HERITAGE FLAVOURS: Traditional dishes sampled included HARURWA, MADORA, BILTONG, MATEMBA, MASAWU, NHUNGURU, NYII, WILD FRUIT JUICES AND TSUBVU - VIP ENGAGEMENT: First Lady Dr. Mnangagwa toured food displays and engaged with contestants. Officials wore “AMAI’S TRADITIONAL COOK-OUT COMPETITION” BRANDED APRONS 3. IMPACT STORY Knowledge Chirenje from Midlands Province won first prize in 2025 while serving a prison sentence. He said the competition TRANSFORMED HIS LIFE. 4. THEME & SCALE THEME: A Celebration of Our Heritage and Unity TAGLINE: Food. Culture. Unity. Zimbabwe! The cookout has grown from a national initiative into a REGIONAL EVENT promoting HEALTHY TRADITIONAL DIETS AND INDIGENOUS CROPS. MAMA’S KITCHEN HUT TAKEAWAY: TALENT, CULTURE, AND NATIONAL PRIDE met in the pot. GloTv Crew captured LIVE HIGHLIGHTS, FLAVOURS, AND STORIES as Zimbabwe’s heritage was on full display for Africa Day. #MamasKitchenHut #NationalCookoutCompetition #ZimCuisine #AfricaDay2026 #FoodCultureUnity

Africa’s Torchbearers: Voices & Legacies _Africa Day 2026 Special_ Founding Fathers of the African Union The architects of African unity: Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Haile Selassie, and others who founded the OAU in 1963. Their push for solidarity and self-determination laid the foundation for the AU today. Leaders & Activists Nelson Mandela – South Africa. Statesman and symbol of reconciliation whose voice reshaped Africa’s political conscience. Wangari Maathai – Kenya. Nobel laureate and environmentalist who linked ecology, democracy, and women’s empowerment through the Green Belt Movement. Writers Chinua Achebe– Father of modern African literature. _Things Fall Apart_ redefined how Africa tells its own story. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o – Kenyan novelist and thinker who centered African languages and decolonization in literature. Charles Mungoshi– Master of Shona prose and poetry, capturing Zimbabwe’s landscapes and spirit. Tsitsi Dangarembga – Zimbabwean novelist and filmmaker who put African women’s voices on the global stage. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Nigerian author shaping global conversations on identity, feminism, and culture. Musicians Oliver Mtukudzi – Zimbabwe’s Tuku. His music spoke truth, unity, and everyday life in Shona and Ndebele. Salif Keita – Mali’s Golden Voice, blending Mande traditions with global sounds. Yvonne Chaka Chaka– South Africa’s Princess of Africa, using music for health and social advocacy. Angeline Kadjo – Ivorian gospel and Afro-traditional artist merging faith with cultural rhythm. From founding a continent to writing its stories, leading its people, and singing its soul — these are Africa’s Torchbearers. #AfricasTorchbearers #VoicesAndLegacies #AfricaDay2026

*Glo Queens 👑 | Zana Khay* This week for Africa Day & Culture Month, GloQueens celebrates *Zana Khay* — the visionary founder of _A Tribe Called Zimbabwe_. Nomakhosazana Khanyile Ncube, known as Zana Khay, is an architect, poet, former Miss Bulawayo, and cultural activist turning Zimbabwe’s heritage into wearable art. Through her brand, she revives traditional Ndebele and Shona aesthetics using Nguni cowhide, goat hide, leather, beads, and cowry shells — all handmade, so every piece is one of a kind. Her work is more than fashion. It’s storytelling. From reimagining 1890s Shona wear in her _Chiedza_ collection to creating red-carpet pieces that make women feel royal, celebrated, and proud of their roots, Zana is preserving culture while pushing it forward. These attires are also gaining popularity at Roora and Lobola ceremonies, where brides and families are choosing authentic, handcrafted pieces to honor tradition with a modern touch. It’s culture being lived, not left behind. For Africa Day, her message hits home: celebrating the diversity of Zimbabwe’s 16 tribes and the shared values that unite us as one. Zana Khay is slaying in her field, shattering the idea that culture belongs in the past, and empowering others to wear their identity with pride. #GloQueens #AfricaDay2026 #CultureMonth #ATribeCalledZimbabwe #ZanaKhay #ZimCulture #WearableArt

Mama’s Kitchen Hut presents: The First Lady’s National Cookout Competition Zimbabwe’s flavours are taking center stage this Africa Day 🇿🇼 The 2026 National Traditional Cookout Competition finals happen on Monday, 25 May 2026 at Mbizo Stadium, Kwekwe, Midlands Province. Proceedings start at 08:00 AM. Guest of Honour: Her Excellency Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Mama’s Kitchen Hut will be travelling to Kwekwe with the GloTv Crew to capture the event live and bring you all the highlights, flavours, and stories from the day. What to expect: - 126 contestants from all 10 provinces competing in the finals - 5 categories: community cooks, professional chefs, tertiary students, church groups, persons with disabilities - Celebration of healthy traditional diets and indigenous crops - Dishes from sadza and stews to indigenous grains with modern twists - A day of food, culture, and unity for everyone to enjoy Theme: A Celebration of Our Heritage and Unity Tagline: Food. Culture. Unity. Zimbabwe! #MamasKitchenHut #NationalCookoutCompetition #FirstLadyZimbabwe #ZimCuisine #AfricaDay2026 #GloTv #FoodCultureUnity

ADELAIDE GANYANI TO SPEAK AT AFRICA DAY 2026 SYMPOSIUM IN OTTAWA MA Film Student Adelaide Ganyani will take the stage as a speaker at the 5th Symposium/Africa Day 2026, happening May 25th, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT at Richcraft Hall, Carleton University, Ottawa. The symposium, themed “Promoting Canada-Africa Investments,” marks the 5th anniversary of the event and brings together voices from business, academia, and culture to strengthen economic and creative ties between Canada and Africa. As a film student, Adelaide brings a unique perspective on storytelling, cultural representation, and the role of media in shaping narratives around Africa and its diaspora. Her participation highlights the importance of creative industries in the broader conversation about investment, innovation, and partnership. The event is hosted by CASA Foundation in partnership with Friends of Africa Coalition (FOA), Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, and supported by Canada. This is a space for students, professionals, and community leaders to engage on how Canada and Africa can build stronger, mutually beneficial investment and cultural collaborations. #AfricaDay2026 #CanadaAfrica #WomenInFilm #OttawaEvents

SHE DESERVES THE WORLD AND SO YOU DO This Africa Month, we celebrate women who are building, creating, and claiming space. She Writers Magazine Issue 6 is out now, featuring ADELAIDE SEGAN GANYANI — writer, filmmaker, and founder of Segan Global Media. She’s sharing African stories that connect with the world in a real and meaningful way. Her message to every woman still becoming: > “Never stop dreaming. Do the things that aren’t expected of you. Dare, because you never know where it might take you.” Read Issue 6 now: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vzAQOqEE5kiGBfQev8sb-3vgf1ApfzhI/view?usp=drivesdk #SheWritersMagazine #SheDeservesTheWorld #AfricaMonth #AfricaDay2026