DSAN Celebrates World Down Syndrome Day

The Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN), a registered charity and the only organization established within the country and the West African sub-region to cater for people with Down Syndrome, announces the World Down Syndrome Day which comes up on March 21st 2010 will be celebrated in Nigeria just as it is being held all over the world.

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is usually celebrated on 21 March with Down syndrome organizations throughout the world organizing and participating in events to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

The date which was selected by Down Syndrome International (DSI) to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (Trisomy) of the 21st chromosome and is used synonymously with Down syndrome.

According to the National President of the Association’, Mrs. Rose Mordi, special activities has been lined up for the day and this will be flagged off by a special thanksgiving ceremony at Redeemed Christian Church of God (Jubilee Christian Centre, 15 William Street, Aguda, Surulere,Lagos) after  which an awareness rally will commence from the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria Headquarters situated at 43 Adegoke Street, Surulere, Lagos State.

The Awareness rally will proceed to the Lagos State Government House where the wife of the State Governor of Lagos State, Her Excellency, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola will host people with Down Syndrome to an evening of discussions and   to create awareness of the condition in the country.

The association will also use the celebration to inform of the programs it plans to hold tentatively over the next few months in order to create awareness as well as advocate for people with Down Syndrome in Nigeria .

Some of the events include the commissioning of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria which will take place on the 27th of May 2010; a one day special musical concert that would feature notable artistes in the country billed for the 3rd of July 2010 while the Annual Down Syndrome Awareness Week will commence on the 2nd of October with a Charity Walk; A seminar on the 6th of October while the Awards Dinner evening will take place on the 8th of October 2010.  The Annual Family Funfair which brings families, friends and partners of people with DS is expected to be held on the 9th of October 2010.

Also, there would be introduction of so many others events our PR firm, Meljenstin Public Relations and events Consultants will come up with this year.

The National President wishes to inform our numerous partners and support groups that through their support, the association has been able to relocate from the former resource centre located at 109 Ogunlana Drive , Surulere to 43 Adegoke Street also in the same vicinity, where renovation works is still going on. The association wishes to use this opportunity to appeal to corporate organizations, religious bodies and individuals to project.

The association also wishes to inform the general public especially those with DS children of the introduction of boarding facilities in the educational centre operated by the association and urges families to enlist their children or wards to be adequately taken care of by the specialized staff at the centre.

The association would also like to announce that it would be honoured in the Special Recognition Category of the National Daily Awards as the best Non Governmental Organization for the year 2009 by the National Daily Newspapers.  In a letter dated March 8, 2010, the Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief of the National Daily Newspaper, Mr. Sylvester Egbodaghe noted that the association was being honoured for their “unquantifiable contributions towards those whom ordinarily members of the society would not want to have anything to do with.”“You stuck out your neck and embraced the unembraceable, showing them love and extra ordinary care in the midst of a selfish and careless world. You gave hope by giving off your own humanity,” the letter read.

The Award ceremony   would hold   26th of March, 2010 at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos and is to be chaired by the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku while Prof Jerry Gana, former Minister of Information is expected to give a keynote lecture.

The association wishes to dedicate the award to all its partners.

Visit our website at www.dsanigeria.org for more information or call our Media and Publicity Department on 080-3748-7286: Email: ahaoma@dsanigeria.org

About The Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria

Who are we?

Down syndrome Association of Nigeria is a non-governmental, not-for-profit association of children with Down syndrome as well as their parents, caregivers, and other interested stakeholders.

History

Down syndrome association of Nigeria was formed (founded) on 4th of December, 2001 by a parent of a child with Down syndrome. Societal attitude toward parents of people with Down syndrome is totally negative in the Nigerian society. Society defines them by what they do not have rather than what they have; what they cannot do rather than what they can do; they are relegated, denigrated and stigmatised on the basis of some retrogressive myth and tradition They are abused physically and sexually with impunity and in extreme cases; even their right to life itself is denied them.

It is against this rather harrowing and ugly backdrop that Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria evolved with a vowed commitment to bridge the gap between children/adults with Down syndrome and the rest of the society through a support system that seeks ultimately to integrate them. This commitment is rooted in the firm belief that if given the necessary encouragement and enabling environment to grow like others, people with

Down syndrome can and do actualise their potentials and live a fulfilled life. In a vast country like Nigeria , as well as in the entire West African coast, with a combined population of well over 230 million, we are the known non-governmental organization working to provide leadership in all areas of concern as it relates to persons with Down syndrome. It should be noted that charity/volunteer work in our part of the world could be most challenging and frustrating, especially as there is very insignificant, if any, support (both morally/financially) from the Government and corporate concern

Mission Statement

Vision – Our vision is a world where all young people with Down syndrome are offered the opportunities that they need to achieve their individual potential. Mission – Our mission is to improve the opportunities offered to young people with Down syndrome. We do this by discovering their potential and by identifying how to support their personal development most effectively through scientific research. We then communicate evidence-based information and guidance through publishing, training and consultancy services to families and professionals worldwide. Through scientific research and global communication, we transform the lives of people with Down syndrome everywhere.

Our services

Educational

We give special educational Early Intervention Programme (E.I.P). This is meant to cater for each child’s immediate and unique learning needs and facilitate the child’s developmental milestone. However, before this is done, an assessment test is carried out on the child to diagnose his/her intellectual deficits and medical problems. Our in-house Educational psychologist and medical Doctors in the Down syndrome Association secretariat do this assessment at 109, Ogunlana Drive Surulere, Lagos . As soon as these educational and medical assessments have been done, the child’s medical needs will be ascertained and the modalities for treatment and therapy will be made known to the parents/guardian. Similarly, the result of the educational assessment will reveal the child’s strengths and weakness, and an individualized curriculum Programme is planned for the child; this Programme is unique in the sense that, it is tailored specifically towards the learning needs of each child as all children are not equal, each has his/her own learning needs.

The educational Programme curriculum covers the following areas

1) Literacy Development (Reading & Writing skills)

2) Numeracy skills (Numbers and Calculation)

3) Communication & Language (Speech development)

4) Social Development

5) Vocational skills

6) Perceptive skills

Social Services

Relocation Programme for street boys and girls with Down syndrome

Enlightenment/Interactive services on Down syndrome through media/work shop/seminars

Help line Telephone service and House-to-House emergency respite, Sensitisation and Advocacy/Pressure group to the government, legal services and memoranda to government officials involved with health and educational Programmes at local, state and federal levels.

Regular enlightenment and interactive service on Down syndrome through the media (print and electronic), workshops/seminars.

Through the above mediums Down syndrome Association of Nigeria give information to people about the condition-Down syndrome and the best management strategies. Since Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities is a societal problem as a result of the negative stigma associated with it, we educate and de-stigmatise the society from such negativism.

Sensitisation and advocacy/pressure group to the government including legal services and memoranda to government. The association paid one of such visits to the national assembly (senate). It has also visited the 1st lady of the Lagos State government. Several letters and memoranda are sent on a daily basis to various corporate organization government organs and well meaning personality giving them awareness about this condition Down syndrome and the need why parents who have these children should bring them out for proper care and education.

We also give telephone help-line service and house-to-house emergency respite for people with Down syndrome.

Rehabilitation Services

This department functions under the educational Programme of the Down syndrome Association. The following services are offered:

Training centre and resettlement support for people with Down syndrome

Resource centre which includes Toys and educational library

Mainstreaming and integration school Programme for people with Down syndrome.

Counselling Services

Parents of children/wards with Down syndrome, as well as siblings need a lot of counselling. The Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria has a host of professional counsellors who offer counselling services.

The following lines are for counselling:

234-1-8119718,08032285545 or email counselling@dsanigeria.org.

Referral Services

Down syndrome Association of Nigeria officials and members of the Board of Trustees meet regularly to review the activities of the association.During these meetings, all other committees meet to review Programme of the Association and assess the success and challenges of the various Programmes undertaken by the association during the year.