Young adults with Down syndrome celebrated Valentine’s Day with a dance in Lyttelton Manor in Centurion on Friday. Hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Pretoria, the event was also meant to help equip the young adults with social skills.
People with other intellectual disabilities also attended. Magda Lourens, chairperson of the association, described the night as a celebration of love.
“We are celebrating all things love at this event. It does not need to be couples and some of the people here are mere friends. The young people are here to have fun.”
Lourens said the association held a themed event every two months and February was all about love.
“But more than that, this is an empowerment exercise. It is about people with Down syndrome taking control, speaking up and doing things for themselves. Similar but differently-themed events are also being planned,” she said.
Louis Lingenfelder, who represents the young people on the board of the association, said the young people had organised the event on their own.
“We approached and negotiated with our sponsors on our own. A supermarket provided platters while an events company decorated the venue and another supplied us with energy bars,” he said.
The association recently started a sports team which, Lingenfelder said, was doing well so far.
“We have started with teams in athletics, swimming and table tennis. We have won over 30 medals in the Tshwane games. We hope we will do better in the Gauteng competition in March.”
Lourens said the association sought to support people with Down syndrome from the cradle to the grave.
“As a non-profit organisation, we need all the assistance we can get. We don’t get any government subsidies or funding and any help will be appreciated,” she said.
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