Around five thousand new students are welcomed at Stellenbosch University every year. The annual tradition of exposing them to a well-rounded student life kicks off during welcoming week. A Social Impact morning is part of the welcoming programme. This year, along with the residences and PSO's, student societies and clusters are also participating in activities.
The programme starts on 26 January 2017 from 09:00 to 12:00 with some residences that will go off campus to support various initiatives in local communities. These initiatives include residences such as Huis ten Bosch who will be going to the Legacy Community Project in Kayamandi to help paint the buildings with community members. Other residences also go out to their various community partners to participate in activities, while some residences stay on campus and participate in initiatives such as making sandwiches, collecting stationery, picking up litter and even painting cans.
Even though the academic programme at the Tygerberg Campus is already underway, students are also participating in initiatives on and off campus. As Tygerberg is the medical campus, the Osler private student organisation (PSO) is focusing on improving the environment within Tygerberg hospital by decorating pot plants and making thank you notes. The Hippokrates residence will acknowledge the importance of education by visiting Northway Primary School to have an arts and culture session.
An extra event on campus has been planned for those students who are not yet involved in any initiatives. The UNASA Student Organisation is partnering with Matie Community Service (MCS) and CANSA to organise a welcoming Shaveathon. This will run for the entire morning in front of the Simonsberg residence and there are prizes at stake for those residences with the highest participation.
The aim of the Social Impact morning is to introduce the new students to community development initiatives and to build on the culture of community engagement that exists at Stellenbosch University. Social Impact creates hope and students are encouraged to get involved with Social Impact initiatives through their residences, PSOs, student association and faculty committees in order to provide them with a total learning experience. Hopefully the Social Impact morning events will inspire many Maties to get involved and make a difference.
For more information, please contact Michelle Pietersen at Matie Community Service: tel: 021 808 3638 / e-mail: mpieters@sun.ac.za.
Programme details (as at the time of publication)
| Stellenbosch On-Campus Activities | | |
| Residence/Ward | Community Partner | Activity |
| Aurora | Disaster Unit | The Disaster Unit will provide an informative talk and first years will donate canned food and decorate clean cans for the Disaster Unit. |
Dagbreek
| Night Shelter and Stellenbosch Hospital | Visit the Stellenbosch Hospital, make food for the night shelter. |
Huis Visser | Various Kayamandi Crèches | First years will donate stationery to the children |
| ISA | SANCCOB | Make Sandwiches |
Nerina
| Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation | Have fun interacting with the children. |
| Olympus | A.F Louw Primary School | Play games, make sandwiches, listen to TED talks. |
Wimbledon Cluster
| Wimbledon Cluster Staff members | Make comfort packs and sandwiches for distribution. Do activities and play games. |
| Silene & Helderberg | The Eerste River | River clean up and make peanut butter sandwiches. |
| UNASA | Simonsberg | Host a welcoming Shaveothon to raise fund for CANSA. |
| Tygerberg On-Campus Activities | | |
| Meerhof | Local community | Sew blankets. |
| Osler | Tygerberg Hospital | Decorate pot plants and make Thank You cards. |
| Stellenbosch Off-Campus Activities | | |
| Residence/Ward | Community Partner | Activity |
| Dagbreek & Erica | The Ark City of Refuge | Visit the organization. |
| Huis ten Bosch | Legacy Community Project, Kayamandi | Paint buildings. |
| Goldfields | St. Idas Primary | Games, sports, meals and refreshments. |
| Lydia & Eendrag | Rietenbosch Primary, Cloetesville | Interact with learners and educational activities. |
| Metanoia & Venustia | Joint Aid Management South Africa | Paint pre-primary schools and assist teachers in preparing meals. |
| Simonsberg | St Vincent's Primary, Koelenhof | Engage with learners through sport and games. |
| Harmonie & Oude Molen | Wonderplant Kayamandi | Plant trees. |
| Monica & Wilgenhof | St Idas Primary | Paint classes and a beach clean-up. |
| Silene | Safe House | Create care packages for women. A discussion on the empowerment of women. |
| AmaMaties Cluster | The Ark: Khayelitsha | Entertainment and short talk. |
| | | |
| Tygerberg Off-Campus Activities | | |
| Hippokrates | Northway Primary School | Arts and Culture session with grade 2 learners. |
| Huis Francie | Kalkfontein Primary | Planting with grade 3 learners and teaching them about sustainability. |
