Founder of the defunct Jazzville, Muyiwa Majekodunmi, popularly known as Majek, has unveiled the Down2Music Foundation (D2MF) to raise awareness about Down Syndrome using music.
D2MF, which will organise a performance tagged “Unveiled, Unplugged, Unleashed’ on Saturday, March 21 to mark the 2020 World Down Syndrome Day, was unveiled on Thursday in Lagos.
Present at the unveiling held at House 21, Majaro Street, Onike, Yaba, the former site of the rested Jazzville was musician, Seun Olota; Pascal Ott; Ade Bantu and music promoter, Tony Martins. They all endorsed the Foundation and assured of their support for it.
Majek disclosed that D2MF would focus on artistic development, training and promotion, inclusion advocacy, as well as the production of culturally and geographically relevant communication materials for information and awareness creation.
Some of its other purposes are community engagement and integration, collaboration with other organisations in the disability space, facilitation and training in advocacy skills and consultation and advisory services.
Majek, whose 32-year-old son, BJ, has Down Syndrome but loves music passionately and presently plays the percussions professionally, said everyone is welcome at the March 21 event.
“It will feature impromptu live performances with some young adults with DS, alongside friends of the house.”
The former Jazz promoter, also spoke out against discriminating against people with challenges, stressing that patience is required to understand and relate with them.
“Mission inclusion is possible if we all decide to be advocates and protagonists of this worthy cause in ensuring a fulfilled, inclusive life for these wonderful people,” he said.
The former administrator at the Down Syndrome Foundation and member of the Lagos State Ministry of Health Art4Life Steering Committee, an initiative to promote health through the arts, didn’t fail to touch on why Nigerians need to understand people with Down Syndrome and show them, love.
He said, “The reality today is that prevailing negative attitudes, low expectations, discrimination and exclusion, ensure that people with Down syndrome are left behind and do not have opportunities to participate fully in decision making about matters relating to or affecting their lives at all levels. This occurs in society, but also within the disability community and the Down syndrome community.
“At the root of this discrimination and exclusion is a lack of understanding of the challenges individuals face across their lifetimes and a failure to support them with the opportunities and tools needed to participate meaningfully. Across areas of life such as lifelong personal development, personal relationships, education, healthcare, work and livelihood, recreation and leisure and participation in public life, ALL people with Down Syndrome must participate in decision making, included on a full and equal basis with others.
“This is the purpose, objective vision and mission of Down2Music Foundation (D2MF). This is the reason why the Creator gave me my son BJ to showcase him to the world and let other families who have children with DS know that there is hope. There is a reason behind every act of God.”
