THIRTY-eight-year-old Marvin Cole is all about making children happy, and he does it in his own special way — with kites, in all colours, sizes and shapes.

The father of nine told the Guyana Chronicle that every year, as the Easter holiday approaches, he would apply for his annual leave from his full-time job at the Ministry of Public Works and spend about two weeks making kites for sale.

Cole said that kite making is a ‘side hustle’ for him, and it attracts some 20 youths to his kite tent, which he locates at Public Road, Buxton in the vicinity of Church of God Road.
In that tent, there are kites of all descriptions, made of both plastic and kite paper imported from Brazil and from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, to be used in kite-making.

Cole and his team of youths have been at the location for about eight days, and they will spend about two weeks at the venue, but will close shop on Easter Monday.

He disclosed that he enjoys kite making because the youths in the village would come around and assist him. At the same time, they would engage him in pleasant conversation, and it gives them something to do when school is closed.

Cole said his very first kite flying experience had been short-lived, because he was gifted a Chinese kite, and before he could get it into the air, it broke, and he was very disappointed.

That experience motivated him to start making durable kites, so the children of today will have a good experience at kite-flying, and not suffer the way he had.

He added that, in 1988, he decided to get into the kite-making business; and he started off making pointer broom kites in various shapes, which were a hit as he walked around the village selling them. He said if there is a special kite one would want, he can make it.

Based on orders, Cole said, he can make from the smallest to the largest kite. He normally makes kites ranging in size from one-footers to five-footers, in both plastic and kite paper. He and his team make about 30 kites per day.

There are more than 1,200 kites at his tent, but before the Easter season ends, Cole averages, he and his team would have made about 2,000 kites for sale, starting from $800 and going to as much as $10,000.

Cole says that plastic kites are more durable and suitable for children than their paper counterparts, because if it rains, they do not get soaked and soggy; therefore, they would last longer.

By Michel Outridge