A colorful kite festival in South Africa raises awareness for mental health

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Enthusiasts flew kites of all shapes and sizes Sunday at a festival in South Africa that raises awareness for mental health and provides a burst of beachside color.

The Cape Town International Kite Festival is celebrating its 30th year, with participants traveling from the United States, Tunisia and elsewhere.

They ranged from seasoned pros — there is such a thing as professional kite fliers, according to organizer Barbara Meyer — to children who skipped down the sand with kites fluttering above them.

Kite designs included “Finding Nemo”-inspired fish, blue dragons, yellow lizards and a wiggly green jellyfish. One inventive entrant was a kite in the shape of a skydiver. Another was a giant hand that flew above spectators, waving in the wind.

October is mental health month in South Africa. Meyer said the festival is an important fundraiser for Cape Mental Health, an organization that offers largely free counseling to any who need it in the Cape Town area.

She said kites reflected a motto: “No matter how fragile the string seems, a person can use it to hold a kite as large as a house."

She said the last few years had been tough for many with the mental scars of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially young people.

“There were so many different layers that COVID brought to people,” she said. “People lost family members. The issue of isolation and lockdowns made it worse. There were a lot of job losses as well and a lot of people coming and asking for help.”