In the isolated rural areas of South Africa, there’s usually no special treatment for people with mental illnesses. They’re often neglected and labeled as cursed by witches, and possessed by evil spirits. That includes people with the condition called Down Syndrome. But one boy with the condition has risen above the social stigma of being disabled.
South African Boy with Downs Syndrome Triumphs Over Prejudice
![Sihle takes his parents, Jam-Jam [left] and Beauty, on a tour of the farm on which he works (VOA/ D. Taylor)](https://gdb.voanews.com/d2bd12bc-3c49-4550-a211-73d996b74cbe_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Sihle takes his parents, Jam-Jam [left] and Beauty, on a tour of the farm on which he works (VOA/ D. Taylor)

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Sihle is justifiably proud of his agricultural achievements (VOA/ D. Taylor)

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Sihle is justifiably proud of his agricultural achievements (VOA/ D. Taylor)

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Sihle says he “loves” being at Ikhaya Loxolo and never wants to leave the home (VOA/ D. Taylor)