The Brownies & Downies café got a really exciting donation on World Down Syndrome Day to help with training and future employment.
Cape Town, South Africa – Approximately one in 500 South African babies is born with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is also the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability.
South Africa celebrated Human Rights Day on 21 March but the day also marked World Down Syndrome Day. This year Engen decided to make a meaningful contribution to the cause. Their head office is right across the road from the Brownies & Downies café, meaning that many of the staff members visit for their brownie and coffee fixes.
It is an open secret amongst frequent patrons that Brownies & Downies make the best brownies in the city.
To support their neighbours on this special day, Engen presented Brownies & Downie with an R10 000 donation, which will be used to help train young adults with Down Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol syndrome, learning disabilities, and autism at the café.
Engen Managing Director and CEO, Yusa’ Hassan marked the occasion by showing up at the café in person to meet some of the trainees and show off his crazy socks, in support of World Down Syndrome Day.
Managing Director of Brownies & Downies, Wade Schultz is grateful for the company’s generous support!
“The donation will assist us to train these young adults and ready them for workplace employment. Our goal is for people with intellectual disabilities to be given more independence and acceptance through employment opportunities and specialised training,” – Wade Schultz.
The Head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement, Unathi Magida says the company prides itself on its compassion, especially for marginalised groups, and remains wholeheartedly committed to supporting people with disabilities.
“Seeing young people gain relevant work experience, life skills, and hopefully permanent jobs and independence proves that disability is not inability, and we are humbled to be able to contribute to this process,” – Unathi Magida.
There is a really clever reason World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on the 21st day of the third month.
“This is to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which causes Down syndrome,” – Wade Schultz.
Brownies & downies even has its own TV series now called “Life begins after Coffee”, it debuts on 6 April on SABC 2, and features life at this unique and inspiring café.
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