Support People with Down Syndrome in Rwanda

This is the latest update from Rwanda. The Rwanda Down Syndrome Organisation continues to work hard to support people with Down syndrome, despite limited resources. The main activities from the last few months include:

Conducting employment research

The organisation has been conducting research to better understand the barriers that prevent people with Down syndrome from finding employment in Rwanda. This has involved conducting interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders in the employment of people with Down syndrome, including employers, family members, and of course people with Down syndrome themselves. 

Fundraising 

Over the past months, we have been providing fundraising training and support, to enable the organisation to become more self-sufficient. In the coming months we are aiming to support them to develop a fundraising strategy, with a clear plan of how to raise money from a diverse range of sources. 

Since this training started, RDSO have submitted a proposal to a private company to fund self-advocacy activities for a year. Also, RDSO is in touch with members of the Rwanda Golf Club for a potential golf tournament that raises money to support RDSO project work. 

Upcoming DSi visit to Rwanda

In October DSi staff will be flying to Kigali, Rwanda to visit the Rwanda Down Syndrome Organisation office. We are very excited to be able to meet staff from the organisation as well as the people with Down syndrome and families that they work with. 

Thanks again everyone for your support, which allows this important work to continue!

Hi everyone, I just wanted to give you an update on some of the main activities happening in Rwanda in the last few months.

Employment advocacy work

The group of self-advocates with Down syndrome and Rwanda Down Syndrome Organisation (RDSO) staff have been busy meeting with key stakeholders from the government and private sector to advocate for their right to employment.

World Down Syndrome Day celebration

RDSO organised an event for World Down Syndrome Day on 25th March. World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. Read more about WDSD here.

The event was attended by over 100 people including people with Down syndrome, families, and representatives from different organisations in Rwanda. 15 self-advocates with Down syndrome spoke at the event about how they want to be a part of Rwanda society through sport, employment and education.

Fundraising support

We are working to support RDSO to develop a fundraising strategy. This is important to help them make a plan for how to raise the funds they need to sustain the organisation and keep making a positive impact in Rwanda for people with Down syndrome.

Thank you very much everyone for your continued support, RDSO has grown so much as an organisation and achieved so much in the last few years!