Hundreds attracted by wedding for a couple with disability
September 1, 2022
Saul Utete
Choice News Africa
Bulawayo – Betsi Gordon Hall at Jairos Jiri Centre Nguboyenja became a hive of activity filled with joy, music, dance and a colourful deco that graced a wedding ceremony of Joshua Hove to Patience Zishiri both being persons with disability.
It is in the eyes of others, where human difference matters, but to God all are one. Patience is a person with speech impairment while Joshua is a person with, hearing, speech and sight impairment, yet a qualified carpenter.
Disability does not mean inability, the two tied a knot at a colorful wedding ceremony that attracted hundreds of guests from all walks of life, as friends and relatives flooded the venue of the occasion.
Chipo Mushininga, President of Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association (ZPHCA) from Kwekwe, travelled all the way to Bulawayo, to attend the wedding of the year.
Patience, trained as a Fashion Designer at Sally Mugabe Day Care Centre in Kwekwe. She later joined Jairos Jiri Centre Bulawayo, where she is now working and subsequently met the love of her life.
The couple’s wedding event became an accomplishment through the unconditional love and support they got from Excellent Christianity Global Ministries (ECGM) that provided the Couple’s, suits and wedding gowns, with many other necessities needed for the function.
“We want to thank the Lord God, for this wonderful day as we gather here to celebrate the wedding of Joshua and Patience.
God helped us to gather all that was needed for the wedding to be successful and we are so happy.
This is what we call (agape) unconditional love. I wish if the whole world can have such love like ECGM, as we are thriving to be at the helm of good things,” said Pastor Magunda.
Their wedding saw the Zishiri and Hove families that included brothers, sisters, friends and workmates coming together to witness in celebration of a wonderful spectacle.
Speaker after speaker hailed the two for doing their families, communities and the country at large pride.
Their wedding was a powerful signal of awareness message concerning persons with disabilities’ capacity to achieve the best in life like any other human being.
“I am Jerimond Zishiri, father to Patience, we are gathered here because of my daughter who united us today with Joshua, celebrating their wedding. I am so happy.” Said Mr Zishiri.
One of Joshua and Patience’s workmates also expressed joy to the couple’s colourful nuptial.
“My name is Tariroyashe Ndlovu, I work with the two. They have done us pride as Jairos Jiri Centre, being the first wedding to be hosted here, I feel so glad about this.” Said Mrs Ndlovu.
The Jairos Jiri Centre Manager, Tafadzwa Gochayi, urged communities and the nation to take a leaf from what the two did.
“We wanted to show the people and the nation that having disability does not mean inability, because a person with disability can do respectable things, wed, make people gather and celebrate.
As Jairos Jiri, we are not only there for skills but social life and we wanted them to be our role models to other students here. The institution has managed to host the first wedding for persons with disability.
Also, we wanted to show the people, society, the world and our children some opportunities like work, that after working, one can wed and be able to live a normal life like any other being,” concluded Mr Gochayi.