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Cuba to Celebrate Down Syndrome World Day with More Inclusiveness

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Cuba will celebrate the Down Syndrome World Day on Thursday under the principle of true inclusion of the people who suffer from that mental health problem.
 
The Down syndrome is the most frequent cause of congenital psychical disability and accounts for 25 percent of cases of mental retardation.
 
It is a genetic syndrome rather than a disease according to the classic model, and although it is often associated to some pathologies, the final phenotypic expression varies from person to person.
 
In Cuba, there are centers to assist people with Down syndrome and to make their incorporation into society more tangible. That is the case of the Count on Me project.
 
'Count on Me' seems a slogan, but it is in fact an artistic project for young people with Down syndrome who, along with their mothers, gives a new sense to their lives and proves Cuba's humanism.
 
Project Director Deysi Pons told Prensa Latina that the idea became a reality in 2013 with the objective of continuing the preparation of those people for life.
 
Our priority is to create a friendly space through different workshops to integrate them into society and, at the same time, to raise people's awareness to achieve true integration.
 
In the courses, they learn about theater, music, plastic arts, among other expressions, and their mothers also have an active participation, as each of them teach the group something different, Pons pointed out.
 
No workshop is more important than another one, as all of them contribute to our children's participation in national and international contests, where they have won several awards, she added.
 
Pons thanked Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, who promoted the special schools despite difficulties, and today they have a space where they can learn and grow up as human beings. / PL