THE Jairos Jiri Association, a leading organisation dedicated to the care of people with disabilities, is on a path to revival, according to its co-president Jonathan Gapare.
The association, which was facing financial challenges, is undergoing transformation aimed at ensuring sustainability and expansion.
Some Jairos Jiri centres had closed down due to shortage of water for its income-generating projects, while a few caregivers were looking after beneficiaries.
Training in agriculture and other skills for individuals with disabilities had been halted.
Gapare, who is also the founder and owner of Alpha International Land Developers, has taken a keen interest in the association and is spearheading its revitalisation.
Gapare told NewsDay that plans were afoot to resurrect projects at all 17 Jairos Jiri centres across Zimbabwe, which encompasses a diverse range of activities including carpentry, agriculture and pig breeding.
“These projects will not only generate income for the association but also create employment opportunities for the disabled,” he said.
“We want to capacitate the disabled, visually-impaired and the deaf to be able to work on their own and earn a living through different projects as almost every centre has a project, be it carpentry or agriculture. So we are just reviving that to get it up and running.
“Soon, we are looking to also allocate land to some of the dedicated employees who have been looking after the disabled at Jairos Jiri. We will be rolling it out soon.”
Gapare emphasised the importance of donor support in realising the association’s vision and urged potential funders to contribute to the noble cause.
“We are also calling on donors to come in and help as Jairos Jiri has always been donor funded, so we just want to assure donors that Jairos Jiri is still alive and will never die. Therefore, we are asking them to step in and assist in keeping the association afloat,” he said.
The late Zimbabwean philanthropist, Jairos Jiri, established the organisation in 1950 to assist and train poor people, primarily people with disabilities.
The association, renowned for its dedication to disabled children, is set to expand its reach with the establishment of new centres in Plumtree and Nkayi.
In a positive development, the association recently received a donation of wheelchairs, which were distributed to various centres.
Gapare expressed optimism about the future, stating that additional income-generating projects are in the pipeline.