The Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, Kulai Centre

The Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation – Kulai Centre started operation in early 2012. Similar to all the other Centres in the Foundation Kulai Centre focuses on the education of children with Down syndrome age six years old and below. The centre is run like an ordinary kindergarten and will have the usual kindergarten activities such as annual sports, concerts, graduation, social and educational visits.

The Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation – Kulai Centre is a non-profit organisation. It relies totally on public donations to fund its operations.

Currently it costs the Centre RM300 per month to educate each child. School fees are substantially subsidized by our Centre. We have begun an Adopt-A-Child Program to obtain sponsors for education for children with financial difficulties.

Mission Statement
The Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation is committed to the welfare of children with Down Syndrome, its main focus being the education of these children up to 6 years old.

Main activities
Its activities are geared toward the setting up and management of Centres of Education for Children with Down Syndrome up to 6 years old where emphasis is on:

• Maintaining and upgrading Special Education Programmes
• Training of teachers in Special Needs Education
• Counselling of families of children with Down Syndrome
• Maintaining a comprehensive Resource Centre with information on Down Syndrome and Special Educational aids
• Creating public awareness of Down Syndrome

The JB Centre was opened on September 1991. The JB Centre became the second centre of its kind under the KDSF. The centre first opened its doors with nine children and two teachers. It operated from a rented premise at Jalan Abdul Samad. In 1996, in recognition of the sincerity and steadfast commitment of the club to its community projects, the State Social Welfare Department of Johor allocated a rent-free building to JB Club to undertake the Early Intervention Programme for children with Down Syndrome. The KDSF JB Centre has been operating at 2C Jln Yahya Awal since and has been growing steadily over the past years. The incremental enrolment of children over the years has signalled the need for the centre’s expansion. Hence finding a suitable site and building of its own has become the immediate focus of the management committee

Our needs

Volunteers: Do you love children? Would you like to spend time with them? Have you considered contributing your time to helping in a Centre for special children?
The Centres at the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation volunteering opportunities include:

• Working with children
• Working in the Resource and Toy Library (National Centre only)
• Helping in the Administrative Dept. (filing, photocopying etc)
• Down’s Update Bulletin (writing, editing, designing etc)
• Helping out in Fundraising activities eg in Annual funfair
• Organising events, seminars, talks