She told The Zimbabwean her road to success had never been smooth. She started off by making embarrassing blunders such as failing to match voices with names – so receiving the honour as a worker of the year was never one of her expectations. “I used to pass wrong messages to people thinking that l would have mastered a voice. It used to embarrass me a lot,” she said.
“I still remember the day l received the award. It was presented by President Robert Mugabe and the late First Lady Sally Mugabe. I felt very honoured and during the week that followed, a lot of people came in to congratulate me. It was a humbling experience,” she said. Most people were not aware of her condition and were shocked to find when they visited the centre that she was blind.
“By just hearing my voice on the phone no one suspect that I am not sighted. There is one gentleman who called and later visited the centre. He asked for Shelter and when l told him that l was the one, he was shocked,” she said, adding that honesty and efficiency had kept her in her job for a quarter of a century.
“Many people look at disabled people and conclude that we cannot be employed – assuming that we cause problems. It is not true”. “I don’t need anyone to move around with me or take me to the toilet. I was trained just like all the receptionists in the country. Keeping my job is based on my efficiency and competence,” Jasi said. Growing up, she wanted to be a teacher and is glad that she has the opportunity now to mentor people who come for rehabilitation at the centre.
“Indirectly I have become a teacher. Some of the students who come for rehabilitation are interested in becoming receptionists so l teach them about taking and transferring calls, manning the intercom and typing messages,” she said.
Her condition bred an enormous core of determination and resilience in her character. “As a child, I would follow my friends even when they were running on narrow bridges and at times I would fall – and I thought I could not do it because I was a failure,” she explained.
Though she has been unlucky in love so far, Jasi hopes that one day she will get married and have children. She also has dreams of travelling.
“I would love to visit local tourist centres like Victoria Falls. Although I cannot see the falls, I would want to feel the atmosphere,” she said.
Post published in: News