Jairos Jiri Association 1726 views

Jairos Jiri Association (JJA) was founded in 1950 by the late Mr. Jairos Jiri MBE; MA Hons and is the largest service provider to people with disabilities (PWDS) in Zimbabwe and in the Southern Africa Region. The work of Jairos Jiri Association is much diversified and continues to be tailored to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Among its many activities are special primary schools for the hearing, visually impaired and physically challenged, hostels and homes for integrated education, Vocational training centre Inclusive Primary Schools, in Agriculture skills training centre, clinics, Orthopaedic workshop and satellite units, Community Rehabilitation Programme, Lobby and Advocacy, Craft shops and Gender empowerment programmes.

To Association’s Vision is to promote and empower People with Disabilities to become full contributors to Community and National Development.  The Jairos Jiri Association provides service to over 4 500 men, women, boys and girls with disabilities in their communities every year through Community Based Inclusive Development/Rehabilitation programs. In addition, the Association runs 16 Centres where 1 200 children and adults get treatment, care and education. 

The Association has a wholesome approach to Disability issues and utilises an Integrated framework on addressing Disability, using a continuum complex Model encompassing the Charity model (Food Distribution, Old People’s Homes), Social and Educational and Empowerment Model (Inclusive Schools, Vocational Training Centres), Medical Model (Clinics, Rural and Urban Community Based Inclusive Rehabilitation), Rights Model (Lobby and Advocacy, Gender Empowerment), Economic and Developmental Model (Village Savings and Lending Schemes, Small Livestock Capital Projects, IncomeGenerating Projects). The organisation is currently actively involved in implementing Emergency Food Aid Distribution in response to the Cyclone Ida in Manicaland region.