Rhodes University is devoted to providing a safe and facilitative environment for students. It is also working to offer a nurturing support system for students and a diverse array of residential, cultural, sporting, and leadership opportunities to advance the overall development of its students. Division of Student Affairs (DSA), in collaboration with the Student Representative Council, carried out a Mental Health and Wellness Awareness Week at the Steve Biko Lawns last week.

The university embraced a framework to functionalize the developmental requirements of students in a comprehensive manner. This new technique encloses the spiritual, mental, social, physical, and emotional (SMSPE) domains of wellness.

Nomangwane Mrwetyana, DSA Director, stated that after the covid-19 pandemic, we saw a gradual increase in the number of students struggling with mental health and wellbeing problems, and our counseling center was not faring in terms of capacity. He added that we had to reignite a different approach and model to deal with mental health issues on campus. We have now shifted to a preventative mode and technique, as we intend to prevent and manage mental health for students to live a healthy lifestyle in a healthy environment.

Namongwane Mrwetyana gave a considerable description of the new approach toward mental health and wellbeing. She further said that the new approach that we have taken is an integrated, holistic method to wellness, encouraging our students to look after themselves and one another in five dimensions of wellness.

Mrwetyana spoke that the five dimensions are Social wellness, where the students can demonstrate relationships, as most of the time these issues are most likely and relevantly more painless if one student share thoughts with a friend than a professional expects. The second dimension is emotional wellness, as it speaks to the capability of being aware of one's feelings and how to handle them. The third dimension, physical wellness, is about motivating students to look after themselves physically, and this has to do with their diet, exercises, etc. The fourth dimension, spiritual wellness, is about speaking to have a meaningful purpose in life and not about going to church only. It is about having a higher power of understanding and finding significant intent from a spiritual perspective. The last or fifth dimension is the mental wellness of students. This dimension refers to the student's academic life and ability to be curious, read, and learn.

Mrwetyana stressed social wellness and said that the university needs to build more space on campus for students to socialize and participate in recreational activities. During Mental Health Awareness Week, Rhodes University worked with stakeholders such as Higher Health, South African Police Service, and GARDMED. In the end, she said that in terms of wellness, we have trained wellness leaders, who are an extension of the services we offer to students, our ears on the ground, who instruct and make awareness of accessible service to students.