Africa’s oldest kiting event, the Cape Town International Kite Festival, is ending of Mental Health Awareness Month on a high this weekend.
The annual festival is dedicated to raising funds for the organisation, and advocating and creating awareness for mental wellness.
Being Cape Mental Health’s flagship event since 1994, the festival celebrates 30 years of bringing #HopeOnAString through its vibrant and colourful kites this year.
On Sunday, Cape Mental Health invites all dreamers to let come and let your kites glide among the clouds and colour the sky with brilliant shades of hope on a string whilst removing the often crippling stigmas around mental health.
The whole family is invited to the annual Pop-Up Fly Event which will take place at Melkbosstrand Beach on Sunday, 27 October, and will feature extraordinary professional local kiters such as Mari and Bradley Ware-Lane, Bobby Gathoo, Brian Skinner, Frans Marais and others - as well as Tony Jetland from California, USA and Amel Amita, Najah China and Afef Sebti all the way from Tunisia!
The Cape Town International Kite Festival invites mense to have non-judgmental and non-discriminatory conversations around mental health.
Santie Terreblanche, Deputy Executive Officer for Cape Mental Health says: ”We are open to speak about our physical health but when it comes to a mental health condition, we try to hide it away and not talk about it because we feel like we have a weakness but mental health is as impacting to our health.
“We invite the public to come out on Sunday and to bring their picnic baskets and enjoy an amazing day with us and also tell us how we can help you or a family member who has challenges with their mental health.”