The annual Cape Mental Health kite event was held at Heideveld Sports Field on Tuesday
On Tuesday, Cape Mental Health organised kite flying at the Heideveld Sports Field in Manenberg to raise awareness about mental health ahead of the 29th Cape Town Kite Festival, scheduled for Sunday 29 October on Melkbosstrand beach.
At the event, themed The Sky Is Your Canvas, young children from various early childhood development centres and schools ran around, yelling excitedly, flying bat kites and bird kites. Rainbow coloured kites were distributed free of charge. Children were also delighted to see a green kite mascot.
Cape Mental Health deputy executive officer Carol Bosch said, "It's world mental health day today, but October is also mental health awareness month. So, this event is about creating awareness about mental health and the importance of taking care of yourself."
"It's a fun activity, having the community fly kites and just creating lightness. Mental health is not an easy subject to talk about for a lot of people."
Bosch said many of the children present had mental impediments and were in special education and care centres.
"Some of them obtain their milestones much later, others not at all, so what we try to do at our special education and care centres is to try and stimulate development. Just because you have an intellectual disability does not mean you are not able to grow," said Bosch.
Founded in 1913, Cape Mental Health provides essential mental health services in the Western Cape. According to the organisation, they serve about 50,000 people and their families a year. There are 22 intervention programmes with 133 staff.
Vernecia Creighton, of Manenberg, was flying a rainbow kite with her two-year-old twins and their two-year-old cousin. She came across the event by accident.
"There is so much going on in our communities, like drugs and crime, which can contribute to people struggling with mental health," said Creighton.
Bosch said, "There are so many social issues in the communities we work in - high unemployment, high crime rates. A lot of our children are growing up traumatised by witnessing killings."
"We all need good mental health - it is the way we look at life, the way we approach life, it is how resilient we are."
