St John Association of Zimbabwe
Who we are
The St John Association of Zimbabwe dates from 1920 when two members of the National Railways staff began teaching first aid from St John manuals. The first St John Centre was formed in 1925 in Bulawayo to meet the needs of railway staff for such training. Units of St John were set up in Bulawayo and Hwange during 1936 followed in time by the establishment of centres and divisions in Harare, Gweru and Mutare. The National Council of St John Zimbabwe was established in 1981 following independence.
Over the years, St John Zimbabwe has developed cordial and deep relations with firms in commerce and industry and chief among them is the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
The St John Association is registered as an NGO under welfare number 1/68.
Our mission is to prevent and relieve sickness and injury and to act to enhance the health and well being of people of all races and creeds in Zimbabwe.
The head office of St John Zimbabwe is in Harare. Two functioning centres operate from Bulawayo and Mutare.
Zimbabwe at a glance
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It borders South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east. The name Zimbabwe derives from "dzimba dzemabwe" meaning "houses of stone" in the Shona language. Its use as the country's name is a tribute to Great Zimbabwe.
The capital is Harare.
What we do
Ambulance Services: St John Zimbabwe operates a subsidized and therefore affordable ambulance service in Greater Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare. We have agreements in place with medical aid societies and also with several companies to cater for the needs of their sick or injured employees day or night.
First Aid Training: We run weekly first aid courses from our modern training centre for individual members of the public and for members of industry in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare. The courses are in great demand and there is often a waiting list. We have plans to expand our training centres to other parts of the country.
Training in Home Based Care: Our courses in Home Based Care are equally very popular. In view of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, many families register for this course to help them in looking after their loved ones who are infected and affected by this deadly disease.
Other Courses
The other courses which we offer are:
- Primary Health Care
- Health and Safety
- Maternal and Child Care
- "Breath of Life"
And a two day course in making the patient comfortable.
Public First Aid Duties: This service by our uniformed volunteers complements the training side of our work. Uniformed St John members operate from their centres around the country. They are unpaid volunteers who give many hours of their time in the service of humanity. You will probably see them at football matches, school sporting events and company sporting functions. The volunteers are trained to give first aid to any injured person or rush an injured or sick person to the nearest hospital for medical attention.
Schools Programme: St John Zimbabwe is proud to run this unique programme in Africa. We teach First Aid to students from the age of 8 onwards and after their qualification we provide further training in related subjects. We also train the teachers who in turn train their students. The syllabus is especially tailored to meet the needs of schools and their students.
Links with other organisations
St John Zimbabwe has enjoyed an active link with St John in the county of Buckinghamshire in the Priory of England for a number of years.
The Priory for South Africa has recently assisted St John Zimbabwe with additional training in Home Based Care.