The Sophia Foundation, a non-profit organisation, was founded in September 2012 and is dedicated to raising consciousness among people in the interests of self, society, and the entire natural world. Our relationship with Stellenbosch University began in 2017 when we committed to collaborating with the institution on a six-module online leadership course over three years. However, the course was suspended midway following the start of the Covid‑19 pandemic.
From my personal experience, I have come to believe that although academic achievement is of great value, knowing the self, experiencing personal growth and developing qualities of character are even more important in one’s endeavours to make a positive contribution to life in general. It is for this reason that when approached by the University to use the balance of the funds pledged that were not used, to go towards bursaries for "missing middle" students, we agreed on condition that bursary recipients committed to attending an Inner Leadership Course. This was evidently a new concept for the academic institution and I am deeply grateful to Pieter Swart, Director: Principal Gifts and Transformational Giving, for his support and encouragement.
A colleague, Keriesa Botha who is an experienced facilitator with a comprehensive knowledge of the ethos of The Sophia Foundation, led our first cohort in 2021. Workshops were held once a term and they followed an experiential way of learning with active participation, group sharing and sharing in pairs. The course explored seven principles for personal development through the lens of emotional intelligence. Content included taking responsibility for one’s well-being and setting boundaries; empathy and active listening; self-awareness and self-reflection; the inner critic; becoming aware of one’s own truth and respecting that of others; managing triggers and reactions; using one’s will to activate meaningful change in one’s life; and practising gratitude.
While I attended the workshops and offered input as appropriate, I also became more familiar with the bursary recipients and their challenges. Following the isolation of Covid‑19, many people appreciated the opportunity to share, initially a threatening experience for some, and a number of new and meaningful friendships were forged. Several students commented that they had for the first time experienced what it felt like to be properly 'listened to' – one of the exercises involved sharing an experience with a partner and then having the partner report what they had heard. "I have come to realise how much I hold myself back from achieving what I have the capacity to achieve because of my Inner Critic and how it really breaks my confidence," one student said. "I find when I focus on even the smallest thing to be grateful for, it attracts so much more to be grateful for," another said.
Owing to the positive feedback from the participants, Pieter Swart asked The Sophia Foundation to consider repeating the process in 2022. Ilze Olckers, an experienced facilitator in the area of personal transformation, is leading the Course covering five workshops. Building on the foundational design of the Inner Leadership Course 2021, she has aligned the Inner Leadership Course 2022 with the United Nation’s Inner Development Goals (IDGs) – a blueprint of qualities and skills required to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, while firmly remaining within the ethos of The Sophia Foundation. The five main categories include: being; thinking; relating; collaborating; and action. The Inner Development Goals reflect the credibility and momentum of the international movement and community of practice that support them, which means our Inner Leadership offering may be considered cutting‑edge practice.
We have had three workshops so far this year and the bursary recipients who participated fully and with great enthusiasm, all provided positive feedback. The quality of the participants really impressed me and I am slowly getting to know them on a more personal level. My wish is that the skills they have acquired on the Inner Leadership Course will stand them in good stead in their personal and professional lives, and in their communities, throughout their lives.
My journey with Stellenbosch University has been rich and rewarding, and the warm welcome and friendship I have received from the SU fraternity has touched me deeply – thank you.
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