WINDHOEK, Nov. 18 — “FNB Namibia, through the FirstRand Namibia Foundation, has been a proud sponsor of the Down Syndrome Association of Namibia (DSAN) for several years, and we joined them once again in celebrating the 2021 Namibia Down Syndrome Day which took place in the form of a Pop-in Festival celebration,” says Revonia Kahivere, FirstRand Namibia CSI Manager.
She added that the FirstRand Namibia Foundation supported the DSAN with an amount of N$ 150 000 in 2020 and ‘these funds are dedicated towards education, awareness, and training on Down Syndrome with the aim to bring about the change we want to see in the lives of the parents, family members, teachers, and the community.”
World Down Syndrome Day is dedicated to raising awareness about Down Syndrome and celebrating individuals around the world who have Down syndrome. Namibia Down Syndrome Day is celebrated in the 3rd week of the month of October, which is Down syndrome Awareness Month, also recognized worldwide as a month for advocacy on Down Syndrome.
Eline van der Linden of the DSAN explained that persons with Down Syndrome were more vulnerable to Covid19. “As health and safety of our community are paramount to the work we do, DSAN decided to commemorate the Namibian Down Syndrome Day 2021 in a modern and safe way. The drive and walk Pop-in Festival turned out to be a great success and during the day over a hundred Down Syndrome community members popped in and interacted with the DSAN team and volunteers.”
