Waves for Change (W4C), a non-profit organisation, will be offering the public an opportunity to experience a sea immersion session on World Mental Health Awareness Day, on Thursday October 10, at Muizenberg Beach.

Founded in 2010, Waves for Change provides surf therapy to children from poor communities with no other access to mental health support.

According to Waves for Change’s Tania Bailey, its programme reaches 2 500 children weekly from 43 communities across the Western and Eastern Cape.

The sessions, she said, combined surfing with psycho-social support, and every surf therapy session began with mindfulness exercises, breathing techniques, and group discussions, fostering emotional readiness and a sense of community.

Ms Bailey said the event, from 10.30am to noon, was designed to introduce participants to the ocean and focus on fostering a culture of “respect, protect, and communicate”, with participants entering the ocean hand-in-hand.

The immersion event marks the beginning of W4C’s annual fund-raising campaign to raise R600 000 to provide 3 333 surf therapy sessions for children in need. There will be a series of activities throughout October to help achieve this goal.

“Nine out of ten children in South Africa lack access to vital mental health support, leaving them vulnerable to the devastating impacts of trauma, adversity, and neglect. Children in our communities experience an average of eight traumatic events annually, ranging from violence and abuse to economic hardship. Yet, access to mental health services remains scarce,” Ms Bailey said.

For senior surf coach Bulelani “Buja” Zelanga surf therapy was a lifeline.

“Growing up in a township can be hard. I love my community, but there was also so much violence, so many people struggling, it was hard to cope and just be a kid,” he said, adding that he was a shy person, scared to come out of his shell. “I couldn’t talk about my past because I would get too emotional and wanted to cry. But now, I feel proud of myself. I’m brave enough to share my story.”

He joined W4C's Saturday Surf Club after completing 10 months of surf therapy. In matric, he became a volunteer assistant coach and later applied to become a W4C coach.

To support Waves for Change with a donation, click here and for more information on the organisation, visit www.waves-for-change.org

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