The Stellenbosch University (SU) Kindness Campaign is an initiative spearheaded by three students to encourage institutional bodies and students to perform acts of kindness for others on campus. They aim to remind the students and staff of SU that everyone has the ability to be kind, and that no one has to face any challenge alone.
Running from 22 to 26 October, the campaign started after a conversation between Dean of Students, Tonia Overmeyer and Zimbili Sibiya (23), MSc Forestry Science student. They conversed over their concern for the mental health challenges faced by students, especially before and during exam time. Overmeyer shared a story with Sibiya of a student who bought a stranger coffee, which created a ripple effect of kindness and inspired an onlooker to then buy someone else lunch.
A student from Academia Residence giving a stranger an energy drink before the student heads to the library to study for exams. PHOTO: Cally Ballack
Along with Sibiya, Hannah Lester (24), fourth year BA Music student and Zander Prinsloo (21), a BCom Economic Sciences student, have lead the campaign. “One of the reasons why we agreed that a kindness campaign was so important, is because we all have the innate ability to be kind, you just forget about it. And in such a stressful time, people need to be reminded of that fact,” says Lester.
Passionate about the wellbeing of students, Sibiya explains that “we live in a world where it is fearful to be kind and suspicious to receive an act of kindness due to the outrageous crime rates in our society.
“To me personally, one thing that has made me happy or at times made me feel lighter when having a bad day is seeing an act of kindness, experiencing it and also doing it. And I thought, maybe a little kindness is what we all need.”
An infographic showing some of the health benefits that an act of kindness can have for people. Not only does kindness impact those around you, but also yourself. INFOGRAPHIC: Cally Ballack
The campaign has received widespread support from many institutional bodies not only on main campus, but at the Tygerberg campus as well. The SRC, Student Affairs, UNASA, PSOs and a few residences have all actively engaged in acts of kindness. Many students also voluntarily handed out coffee to other students throughout the course of the week.
One such example is an act of kindness by Olympus PSO and Academia Residence who partnered together to hand out energy drinks and cupcakes on the Rooiplein. The two campus communities played music through a speaker, and allowed students to decorate their cupcakes at the stall as a stress reliever before heading to the library to work for the evening.
Students shown decorating their own cupcakes as a little stress reliever before studying for the evening. PHOTO: Cally Ballack
Meagan Turley (22), Primaria of Olympus PSO, explains that the prominent support of the campaign by PSOs is because “we try and focus on campus activities because we do not have a house, so I think in that aspect, we were really keen on this idea.”
“You have to learn to be kind to others, and also to yourself because you can’t pour from an empty cup. This [Kindness Campaign] was a good reminder, because it is right before exams, to just be kind to others and yourself,” says Turley when explaining what kindness means to her.
Lester believes that one of the biggest challenges faced by students, especially around exam time, is their mental health.
Decorating sweets and treats for the cupcakes given out for free to students at a stall set up by Olympus PSO and Academia Residence to extend kindness to students on campus. PHOTO: Cally Ballack
“You get so stressed, and so tense about work… By encouraging people to just be kind, and knowing that there is just one another person that knows about you and cares about you, I think is making a difference to the students. I do think it has made a difference and will continue to make a difference,” explains Lester.
Second year BA Human Resource Management student, Roxy Hofer (20), participated in the Kindness Campaign and feels that it impacted each person involved, even if in a small way. “Random acts of kindness distance you from your daily routine and stress that you get caught up in so easily which shifts your perspective on what really matters. The pure look of joy on people’s faces made the campaign worthwhile and an absolute success,” explains Hofer.
Watch this video to see some serious cupcake making going down, as Academia Residence and Olympus PSO hand out cupcakes and energy drinks to students as part of the SU Kindness Campaign: