Jairos Jiri's widow reveals wishlist

Betty Jiri, the widow of the late national hero and philanthropist Jairos Jiri, has made a heartfelt appeal to the Zimbabwean government and citizens for recognition of her pivotal role in co-founding and nurturing the organisation dedicated to the welfare of people with disabilities.

Jairos Jiri, who passed away on November 25, 1982, was declared a national hero in Zimbabwe. The couple had been married since September 6, 1963.

Now aged 86 and based in Bulawayo, Betty has presented a wishlist that she hopes will acknowledge her lifelong dedication. She is seeking a plot of land, a solar-powered borehole with water storage to support horticulture and fish farming, a house equipped with electricity and solar power, and a vehicle to assist her mobility and enable her to attend national events.

Betty emphasised that she was the first African woman to care for persons with disabilities, having overseen the establishment of Africa's first centre for the rehabilitation of the blind and disabled in 1958 at Nguboyenja, Bulawayo  -  all at the young age of 19.

"The work of caring for persons with disabilities began in 1953 at Mzilikazi Q Square Number 60, Bulawayo. We later moved to Makokoba Big Bar, and because of the high demand for assistance, the city administration kindly donated a stand at Nguboyenja," she recalled.

This donation enabled the construction of facilities that housed both her family and persons living with disabilities, officially marking the establishment of the first care centre under what became known as the Jairos Jiri Society.

Betty noted that the Jairos Jiri Association was formally founded in 1964, with its constitution registered at the Deeds Office on January 9 of that year.

She strongly insists that both she and her late husband were the true founders of the association, dismissing claims that Jacob Mapfinya, often cited in discussions, was a co-founder. "Jacob was a worker, which is why he is not a national hero," she stated.

Betty criticised her exclusion from the founding constitution of the association, which she believes was a deliberate attempt to deny her recognition as a national heroine and to obscure her critical contributions as a woman in the movement.

"I fought tirelessly against disability stigma and discrimination, championing empowerment and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe and beyond," she said.

Expressing her passion for farming, Betty appealed for assistance in establishing a solar-powered borehole and water storage container to facilitate greenhouse horticulture and fish farming activities.

She also requested a home equipped with both electricity and solar energy as a place for her retirement, citing her advancing age and mobility challenges following a broken leg.

Betty revealed she received no inheritance after her husband's death, with his estate being distributed before a death certificate was officially issued in 2013  -  a process she claims happened without her knowledge.

"I wish to have a car to help me get around since I can hardly walk, and to attend national events where I can be recognised as a national heroine. This is my plea  -  to be honoured while I am still alive and able to enjoy life in my final years," she said.

Betty Jiri's call shines a spotlight on the often overlooked contributions of women in Zimbabwe's history of social development, urging the nation to celebrate and support the pioneers who laid the foundations for today's disability care and advocacy.