Local moms launch biscuit campaign for Down Syndrome Awareness Month

WITH Down Syndrome Awareness month coming up in October, Downside Up South Africa is hosting an awareness campaign. The organisation is a non-profit company founded by mothers of Down Syndrome children in March this year. Glen Anil resident, Olga Bikitsha and Morningside resident Kelly Horn are founding members and directors for the organisation.

“We were looking for a place where we could look for advice. I struggled to find a school and I needed to find a support system,” said Bikitsha.

“We started as a WhatsApp group of five people and then ideas started evolving and we decided to make it official and set up the organisation that we were all looking for. From five people, we now have over 50 families with us,” added Horn.

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The organisation is selling iced biscuits in the shape and colours of the yellow and blue ribbon that symbolises Down Syndrome awareness. This continues last year’s campaign whereby the organisation sold blue and yellow ribbons to raise awareness about Down Syndrome and raise funds for a charity that supports adults with Down Syndrome. Among the sponsors for the project were Ilovo Sugar which donated sugar toward the biscuits which were created by Jesse’s Biscuits.

“Our target is to have 2000 biscuits to sell. We have about 1000 so far, so we will be making biscuits throughout October as well,” said Horn.

“Money raised will implement educational packs for our families- for the new moms who are feeling overwhelmed and need to collaborate and find their way,” she added.

Through the campaign Downside Up SA will raise awareness about Down Syndrome and address myths.

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“For me the biggest issue is schooling. If schools could just understand that children with Down Syndrome are able, if we could get an opportunity to take them to school that would help,” said Bikitsha.

“Our biggest aim is to create awareness that there are people with Down Syndrome in our society and just to embrace them, like any other disability, everyone just wants to be embraced by a community,” added Horn.

To purchase a bicuit for R20, contact Kelly Horn on 083 642 5736 or email downsideupsa@gmail.com.

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