Halis Güney, who has Down syndrome: 'Working is wonderful, I invite all our friends'

28-year-old Halis Güney, who has Down syndrome, has been working as a service staff member at a hotel for 5 years with the support of the Turkish Down Syndrome Association. Güney said, "Working is wonderful, I invite all our friends to work and earn their own money. My mother and father are proud of me."

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Halis Güney, who has Down syndrome: 'Working is wonderful, I invite all our friends'

In Şişli, Istanbul, 28-year-old Halis Güney, who has Down syndrome and works as a waiter at a 5-star hotel, said, "Working is wonderful, I invite all our friends to work and earn their own money. My mother and father are proud of me."

Halis's mother, Esra Güney, who stated that Halis has been working for 5 years, said, "I couldn't even imagine him working. I am very happy."

STUDENTS DID NOT WANT HIM, HIS FAMILY STOOD BY HIM

The family of 28-year-old Halis Güney learned that their child had Down syndrome when he was 9 months old. Wanting Halis to receive a good education, the family moved from Giresun, where they were living at the time, to Istanbul. Halis struggled with many difficulties throughout his education. His father, Fatih Güney, recalled those days with the words: “In the 5th grade, the classroom teacher called us in. He said that if Halis continued, the other students would not come to school. I said: If the others won't come, that is their own business.”

Later, the family's path crossed with the Turkish Down Syndrome Association. Through the association's 'Employment +1' project, Halis became involved in working life.

Halis's mother, Esra Güney, expressed her satisfaction with her son working, saying, “Him being able to work was something I couldn't even dream of. But afterwards, seeing that the efforts were not in vain and that he is working is a completely different feeling. It is impossible to describe this.”

'MY MOTHER AND FATHER ARE PROUD OF ME'

Halis, who has been working as a service staff member at a hotel in Şişli for 5 years, says that working is a beautiful thing and that his parents are proud of him. Halis, who is also a die-hard Beşiktaş fan, invites all his friends to work. Güney said, "I am 28 years old, I have been working as a service staff member at a hotel for 5 years.

I serve tea, coffee, and food here. I invite all my friends, let them work too and stand on their own two feet. Let them earn their own money. Working is a beautiful thing. My mother and father are proud of me," he said.

Mother Esra Güney stated that Halis was 9 months old when they learned he had Down syndrome, saying, "When we learned he had Down syndrome, he was 9 months old. As soon as we found out, we started worrying about what we could do. We were living in Giresun at that time. We traveled to Istanbul every month and started his education.

Afterwards, we moved to Istanbul in 2001. Halis started nursery school at age 3 and kindergarten at age 6. Later, he received inclusive education at Moda Primary School. He continued his education in the Food and Beverage Services Department at Şöhret Kurşunoğlu Vocational School."

News Source: 12punto