Special Olympics receives GIZ donation

THE Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) donated 3 000 Olympic s Namibia flyers and 8 000 newsletters to the sports organization working with athletes with intellectual disabilities in Namibia. The donation took place in Windhoek on Tuesday.

The flyers and documents will be distributed throughout the country in creating awareness on available programmes and services across the country. Representing GIZ, Mieke Mueller, the Programme Manager of Weltwaerts, commended the Special Olympics Namibia programme and urged the organization to reach out to marginalized communities across Namibia.

Accepting the donation, Vilho Namufinda thanked the GIZ for the donation and for its continued support through the organization’s Weltwearts Volunteer Programme that provides international volunteers to Special Olympics Namibia on a yearly basis.

Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than nearly 3.5 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing yearround sports training, athletic competition and other related programmes.

In Namibia, Special Olympics currently operate in six subprogrammes and envisage expanding to Caprivi, Kunene and Omaheke regions during the 2012 calendar year.

Hence, the programme provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.

For further information, please contact Vilho Namufinda, National Director, Special Olympics Namibia, at 081 129 5555, (w) 061 302 403 or e-mail SONamibiaDirector1@gmail.com