Supporting People with Down Syndrome in Africa

Thank you to those of you who celebrated the 12^th annual World Down Syndrome Day with us on the 21^st of March. Many of our partner organisations across Africa held events and organised activities to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of people with Down Syndrome. Highlights included a picnic and awareness walk in South Africa and a concert featuring musicians with Down syndrome in Nigeria.

The Rwanda Down Syndrome Organisation (RDSO) continues to make excellent progress and held a very successful event for World Down Syndrome Day. The event featured in news coverage on national television and was attended by government officials, NGOs and over 100 parents and their children with Down syndrome. Holding this event was a fantastic achievement for an organisation that has only recently started, and the number of people attending demonstrates how well RDSO have been reaching out people with Down syndrome, their families and the wider community.

Our partners at the Down’s Syndrome Foundation of Zambia (DSFZ) have been developing a project on inclusive education for children with Down syndrome. We have provided support and advice on writing a project proposal to enable them to apply for funding. As well as increasing their chances of the funds they need for this project, this will enhance their skills at planning projects and writing successful project proposals, building their organisational resilience in the long term.

We have also advised the Uganda Down’s Syndrome Association (UDSA) on their strategy for engaging with government ministries and civil society organisations. This included assessing levels of understanding of Down syndrome and identifying policy areas to influence. Our support will help UDSA to approach NGOs and government officials with the confidence and strategies needed to be able to build strong relationships that benefit their organisation and the people with Down syndrome that they represent.

We would like to thank our supporters for their generous donations that have enabled us to provide support to our partner organisations in Africa, and help them to reach out to people with Down syndrome and campaign for change in their countries. Any further donations will continue to drive our work forward and ensure that people with Down syndrome across Africa have their rights protected and are able to access opportunities to participate in society.