‘Jairos Jiri must be declared National Hero’

Lumbi Zani Dima,Chronicle Reporter
THE Special Advisor to the President on disability issues Cde Joshua Malinga has said they are pushing for Government to declare the late Jairo’s Jiri, a national hero.

The late Jiri, founder of the Jairos Jiri Association died on November 12 in 1982.
By the time of his death, he was running 16 centres including special schools for the deaf and blind as well as hostels, homes, vocational training centers, agriculture skills training centres, clinics for those living with disabilities among others.

Yesterday, the association held the 39th Jairos Jiri day celebrations at the Jairos Jiri Vocational Training Centre in Nguboyenja suburb.

Cde Malinga who was the guest of honour said he was working with Senator for Disability Watson Khupe to push Government to declare Mr Jiri a national hero.

“Khupe and I pushing Government to decalre Mr Jiri a national hero,” he said.
Cde Malinga said there are barriers created for people living with disabilities by society.

“The challenge that we are facing is that society as a whole creates barriers for people living with disabilities.

For instance, many schools out there do not have toilets for the disabled, so how are these people going to enroll at such institutions, even the Bulawayo High Court itself does not accommodate the disabled,” said Cde Malinga.

He said he is working on creating a positive mindset about people living with disabilities in society and breaking the barriers.

“Disability is how society is structured, everything is done without asking, people think they know and understand, when they don’t. Therefore, my job is to create a paradigm shift, so that we change people’s mindsets about the disabled, we want people to think positively,” added cde Malinga.

Senator Khupe urged those living with disabilities to approach the Jairos Jiri Association to acquire knowledge on various skills as disability is not inability.