Founded in George in
1998 as a support group for parents with Down Syndrome kids, Up
with Downs soon realized there was a marked absence of
specialist education in the area. Children were having to board
at centers in Cape Town (400km west) or Port Elizabeth (300km
east) and, clearly, something had to be done! So, with an
initial roll call of 4 kids and one teacher, Up with Downs
School was created.
The school has steadily
grown according to demand, and we presently employ the services
of three full-time teachers and a teacher’s assistant, all
tending to the various needs of our group of 18 kids. Our
children are aged from 3 to 19 years, and not all are DS; we
also help out kids who suffer other learning disabilities.
The School rents its
premises from the Anglican Cathedral, and is very conveniently
situated close to the CBD of George. This location affords us
the luxury of close ties with Holy Cross Primary School (our
neighbours), and we are also very visible to the public eye,
which is of paramount importance in the maintenance of our aims.
Most of our kids are
from the George area, but we are aware of a need arising from
the outlying areas encompassed by Plettenberg Bay and Knysna to
the east, Oudtshoorn in the north, and Mossel Bay to the west.
There is a very real and urgent demand for what Up with Downs
is supplying, and we do indeed have a long-term goal that we
like to refer to as “the Dream” (see para below). Everything is
in place for the Dream to be put into effect, and therefore it
will take place, given time of course, and God’s good will.
