Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities.
1.Monwabisi Beach
Today, in South Africa, is National Heritage Day. On this day South Africans recognise and celebrate the cultural wealth of their nation. It is also a day where they remember the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa. Various events are staged throughout the country to commemorate this day.
On this momentus day for South Africans, the Duke and Duchess have a number of engagements, starting at Monwabisi Beach.
Dressed casually for this event and looking well rested, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on the second day of the 10 day tour made a first stop to Monwabisi Beach to learn about the work that the NGO, Waves for Change, does to train and mentor local surfers to provide mental health services. As we know, this subject is a passion of Prince Harry who, has spoken publically about his own personal dealing with mental health.
Waves for Change provides a child-friendly mental health service to at-risk young people and young people with different abilities, living in unstable communities.
The Duke and Duchess were treated to a welcoming kilo chant by the young surfers and the Royal couple joined in.
They were taken through the work which Waves for Change does and they moved on to see the work of the Commonwealth Litter Project and Lunchbox Fund. The Commonwealth Litter Programme (CLiP), is led by the UK through the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). The programme is funded by Defra, it supports four developing countries across the Commonwealth to take action on plastics entering the oceans.
The Duke and Duchess joined the group in a circle to take part in the Power Hand Activity. This is a mental health exercise that promotes positive thinking. NB: Any sort of physical activity that involves exercising can significantly improve mental health. Physical activities that promote mental wellness include: Cardiovascular exercises (jogging, walking, swimming, biking, etc.) Team sports (soccer, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, etc.)
In an interview given to Max Foster of CNN, the Duke and Duchess talked about the good work being done in the community about mental health.
This morning’s visit included a trip to the charity Lunchbox Fund, which was highlighted by the Duke and Duchess on the birth of their son Archie, where well wishers were asked to donate to this charity as a gift to their son. The Lunchbox Fund is an organization which provides nutritious daily school meals to children.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit the Waves for Change compound kitchen, where charity The Lunchbox Fund, provides nearly 30,000 nutritious meals every day to programmes in townships and rural areas.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex discuss mental health.
2.Kalk Bay Harbour
Prince Harry went on to Kalk Bay Harbour for a solo event.
With a parting kiss from the Duchess, Prince Harry travelled by boat to a solo event to Seal Island to learn about how the officers from the Cape Town Marine Unit tackle abalone poaching.
Photo by Camera Press/Michelly Rall
In 2018, a UK training team was deployed to Cape Town to assist the city’s Maritime Police Unit . They have since detained a number of abalone smugglers operating under cover of darkness in the area.
Abalone-diving has been a recreational activity for many years, but stocks are currently being threatened by illegal commercial harvesting. The abalone meat from South Africa is prohibited for sale in the country to help reduce poaching; however, much of the illegally harvested meat is sold in Asian countries. Source: Wikipedia
Tour of Bo Kaap followed by Tea with some residents of the area
Following on from their tour of the Mosque, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan took a quick tour of the Bo Kaap area to mark National Heritage Day. They were then invited to tea in the home of a Bo Kaap resident. This particular event shows how relatable a couple they are and you can see why they are respected and loved.
For those delusional British press and trolls who seem to think that the Duke and Duchess need to get the “public on their side” by being Royal, take a look at Kier Simmons’ tweet.
A lovely moment was captured of Duchess Meghan being handed a copy of the Table Mountain Story. Perhaps they heard Prince Harry telling someone on Day 1 of the Tour that Archie was looking out of the aircraft window as they flew over Table Mountain.
The South African crowds came out in their numbers to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they made their way into the Auwal Mosque.
Built in the 18th Century, The Auwal Mosque, is a mosque in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, recognised as the first mosque established in the country, it opened in 1794. Source: Wikipedia
The Bo-Kaap is an area of Cape Town, South Africa formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is a former township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city centre and is a historical centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. The Nurul Islam Mosque, established in 1844, is located in the area. Source: Wikipedia
The Duke and Duchess were met at the entrance to the Mosque by Imam Sheikh Ismail Londt and the Muslim Community Leader, Mohamed Groenwald. After a brief history of the mosque, which included them viewing what is believed to be the first manuscript of the Qu’ran in South Africa (drafted by an Imam from memory whilst imprisoned on Robben Island, per Omid Scobie), the Duke and Duchess were introduced to some faith leaders and from the look of things they were enamoured by this Royal Couple that one of them held on to the Duchess’s hand whilst talking to her.
The Duke and Duchess then got to meet a group of young people for some interaction.
Youth Reception at the British High Commissioner’s residence
The climax to the end of another successful and packed day, with South African singers singing in the background, Nigel Casey, the British High Commissioner to South Africa, hosted The Duke and Duchess at a Reception in his Residence. The Reception recognised two young people effecting change by bestowing on them the Commonwealth Points of Life Award to preserve South African wildlife and oceans. The First was Jade Bothma who was inspired to protect the ocean from plastic pollution after experiencing its beauty. Jade turns plastics cleaned off the beaches into bricks to build houses for the homeless. Jade wore a necklace from recycled plastic which the Duchess was seen admiring.
The second honouree was Hunter Mitchell who was named a 2018 International Young Eco-Hero by the environmental organisation Action for Nature for his activism in support of African rhino conservation. Hunter raised 250 Rand to save and protect orphaned rhinos.
The Duchess was in deep conversation with Jade and Hunter when Prince Harry made his way to join them. As Jade made way for Prince Harry, her shoe got stuck in the ground in what was a “in a Cinderella moment” (a quote from Duchess Meghan) and being the perfect Prince and Gentleman, Prince Harry came to the rescue.
Hunter gave a toy rhino to Prince Harry for Archie. The Duke and Duchess spent a considerable amount of time talking with Jade and Hunter. I am sure today is a day neither one of them will ever forget.
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Via Jacaranda News Twitter
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Via Jacaranda News Twitter
Other guests included Marlene le Roux, a South African disability and women’s rights activist, co-founder of the Women’s Achievement Network for Disability, and CEO of the Artscape Theatre Centre. Marlene was just three months old when she contracted polio. At the time, South Africa was under Apartheid rule which meant that the racist medical system failed to protect her from what in the mid 1960’s was already a preventable disease.
Prince Harry announced that he would be leaving South Africa to travel to Malawi, Angola and Botswana, whilst The Duchess will remain in South Africa with Archie.
At this point I will mention that in Prince Harry’s speech he talked about the things which have stood out to them which are “the power of the youth and what young people are able to do”. They have also been impressed by the young people “to change conversation and stand up to things that matter to them”. The Prince asked that the youth should be listened to and help should be given to them to have their voices amplified.
The Royal couple left, hand in hand, for a well-earned rest. What a fabulous day we have all had.
