Cape Mental Health (CHM) kicked off its 30th community kite festival with a day of fun and colourful kite flying for young learners from creches and schools in Heideveld on Wednesday.
Each year the organisation hosts the event to raise funds and awareness about mental health, which the organisation says still carries a lot of stigma. CHM offers mental health services to people with mental health disorders and their families.
This year’s kite festival theme is #HopeOnAString and will be hosted at Melkbosstrand Beach on Sunday, 27 October.
CHM works in different communities, which include Heideveld, Athlone, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain. According to the organisation, they serve about 50,000 people and their families a year. There are 22 intervention programmes with 138 staff.
On Wednesday, the sound of children’s laughter and screams could be heard across the sports field as they played games and enjoyed treats while surrounded by brightly coloured kites.
CMH spokesperson Barbara Meyer said, “Bringing the kites into the communities works well because many kids do not get to see or experience kites.”
“Events like this raise awareness but also make the government and businesses realise that mental health needs more attention. When it comes to mental health awareness in our communities a lot more needs to be done,” she said.
She said funding remains one of CMH’s biggest challenges. CHM is dependent on donations and fundraising. The kite festival used to be a two-day event, filled with celebrations and outreach programmes. But budgets have shrunk, and some services have had to be cut.
CMH’s care centres manager Mpilo Khumalo said the organisation also supports learners with profound to severe intellectual disabilities. “In some cases you find that a learner with an intellectual disability also has a physical disability.” Khumalo said the funding crisis has limited the support they are able to give to these learners and their families.
CMH charges R580 per month for this service but families who cannot afford it are not turned away.
“Out of the three centres, we do not even get 50% of the fees on a monthly basis. But we understand that we are the drivers of the right to education for children with intellectual disabilities, so no one should be excluded. We provide support despite not getting contributions from parents,” said Khumalo.
Scores of children from schools and early learning centres joined the organisation’s kite day.
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The only thing that a man who hangs around a beautiful lady without saying a word can do is to fetch water during her wedding day
Digital Moonshine
A new teacher enters a classroom full of students.
The teacher stands at the front of the room and greets the students, \”Good morning, class.\”
None of the students say anything. One boy at the back of the classroom stands up, \”Good morning, teacher.\”
Puzzled, the teacher carries on. The following morning, the same thing happens. Day after day goes by, and it\’s the same routine.
One morning after greeting the class and the same student standing and greeting, the teacher has had enough, \”Why is it, that every time I walk in and greet the entire room, only you stand up and greet me?\”
In the most broken English, the boy replies, \”Because I are the only one here, what\’s name are Klass\”