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The Herald, December 23, 1980
MR Jairos Jiri, head of the Jairos Jiri Association caring for hundreds of blind and other handicapped, says he badly needs $200 000 to put the organisation back on an even keel after the liberation war.
Speaking by telephone yesterday from his Bulawayo headquarters, Mr Jiri said the organisation’s financial position was “very grave”.
He appealed to Zimbabweans to donate money, saying that overseas donors gave money to cover only the monthly running expenses “and not to offset shortfall”.
The $200 000 “deficit” the organisation was now trying to clear was “carried over” from 1978-79.
Mr Jiri said the association had suffered its biggest setback in February of this year when the International Red Cross “suddenly withdrew $2 000 in food given each month to more than 1 000 occupants at his 18 centres across the country.
This had been aggravated by the rise in the cost of living since the beginning of the year, he said.
The Government had come to the association’s aid by increasing its grant for people trained by the organisation from $9 to $25 a student a month.
Mr Jiri said there were more than 150 people under training at present. Some courses lasted as long as three years while others were shorter.
He said the war had adversely affected the association’s operations. It cut off supplies of food from people in rural areas with children at centres in the towns.
And the Jairos Jiri Band, which previously toured the country staging fund-raising shows became grounded while at the same time donations from the general public “dwindled”.
The band, comprising blind and other physically handicapped people, had since been revived and raised $15 000 from shows in the past three months.
Arrangements were being made for the band to travel to Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique early next year to try to raise more money.
Mr Jiri said that altogether, the association hoped to raise on its own a sum of $325 000 between November this year and next October. But whether this target would be reached would depend entirely on the nature of running costs.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- Philanthropic work is not for the faint-hearted. Despite little education and training, Jairos Jiri had a big heart, as he accepted people with diverse disabilities.
- Not only did the late Jiri look after the disabled, but he went to great length to provide them with day-to-day supplies and ensured that they were empowered through vocational training.
- Successful musicians like the late “Dr Love”, Paul Matavire were products/members of the Jairos Jiri Band.
- Despite the illegal sanctions, there has also donor been fatigue, which has adversely affected private voluntary organisations like the Jairos Jiri foundation from getting much needed funding. Thus they end up looking to Government for assistance. This also drives many of their members on the streets to beg.
- As the cost of living spirals, and job opportunities for the disabled are hard to come by, it is important for the Executive, Parliament and the private sector to come up with lasting solutions for this group.
- The First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation, has extended an olive branch to the disabled, but it also needs lots of assistance in order to cater for their needs.
Online Reporter