Record Number of Africa Ministers for Inclusion and Transformation at Special Olympics World Games

Special Olympics has announced the formation of the Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion, a pioneering multilateral effort to support people with intellectual disabilities. For the first time, governments, industry, philanthropy and the development community have come together with a shared global commitment to increase inclusive practices in education and sport, and create more inclusive schools and communities.

?Over the next three years, Coalition members have committed to expanding inclusive sports and education opportunities to over 2,000,000 young people in more than 150,000 schools and scaling Special Olympics programming to 180 nations. The inaugural Coalition members were announced at a high-level leaders’ roundtable hosted on the sidelines of the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, including 5 countries from Africa.

?What does this effort mean in Africa? Nyasha Derera from Special Olympics Zimbabwe, who has an intellectual disability, is a Special Olympics International Board member and Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger for Africa Region.

Derera said, “There are so many Nyasha’s in Africa. We are often discriminated against and rejected by our own family members. By the presence here of our government leaders, you are changing Africa. You are sending a strong message that we are better, and we are stronger, when we include people with intellectual disability at the grassroots level.”

Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics International, added that: “When Nyasha speaks, we go to a different level. In Africa Region, when societies and families confront a child who is different, they can see it as a curse. But the transformational power we have seen in Nyasha’s life is a miracle. Special Olympics has the power to change us all. We are just getting started, and this Global Leadership Coalition will continue to grow and support Special Olympics’ movement to foster acceptance and inclusion for all people in schools and communities around the world.”

?The Second Lady of Kenya also attended the governmental-level Global Forum of Inclusion.

“It’s the natural thing to do. We want to have an inclusive society – if you do not take care of the differently abled, it means the world does not have a heart. I’m here to support inclusion and leave no one behind,” said Her Excellency Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, spouse of Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua.

?At home she is a patron of Special Olympics Kenya’s local programming, bringing awareness and sensitizing parents and families about not missing out on the joy and gifts of their children with intellectual disabilities by letting them come to Special Olympics.

?Alongside Special Olympics athletes and families, senior leaders of countries, corporations and civil society committed to investing in inclusive programs that better serve learners with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics will provide Coalition partners with data and technical assistance to help them design public-private partnerships to advance social inclusion in education through sport.

?Inaugural government Coalition members include: the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar, Jamaica, Mongolia, Montenegro, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Panama, the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Seychelles and the United Arab Emirates.