“16-Year-Old With a Heart of Gold”: KZN Woman Shows Compassionate Student Helping Homeless Man

• A KwaZulu-Natal content creator showed a high school teenager stopping to help a homeless man who was sleeping on the street without shoes or blankets
• The compassionate 16-year-old girl gave the man a 2-litre bottle of juice and a container of food before walking away
• The heartwarming video went viral with over 46,000 reactions, showing how many people had walked past the man without offering any help

A teenage girl has warmed hearts across South Africa after being caught on camera helping a homeless man in need.

Content creator @nonhla.khumalo shared the touching moment on 13th June, showing the 16-year-old's act of kindness that many adults had ignored.

The video shows the high school student walking down the street when she spots a homeless man sleeping on a small piece of cloth. The man had no shoes on his feet and was lying out in the open without any blanket or covering to protect him from the elements. What makes the moment even more special is that many other people had walked past this man, avoiding him and choosing not to help.

The teenager decided to wake the man up gently and gave him a 2-litre bottle of juice to drink. She also handed him a styrofoam container with food inside, making sure he had something to eat. After completing her good deed, she blew him a kiss and walked away.

The video quickly went viral, attracting over 46,000 reactions and more than 1,000 comments from South Africans who were moved by the teenager's kindness. Many people praised her for having such a caring heart at such a young age.

SA celebrates young hero

Social media users flooded the comment section with praise for the teenager:

@Afikile Captain Tshona celebrated:

"Oh Nkosi, at least we have another 2k who have heart🙌🏼"

@Aiko Bholitye noted:

"Ohh mahn, she knows he slept hungry❤️❤️"

@Phathiswa Makaba predicted:

"Owu baby girl, you will be rich one day, I promise you ❤️❤️❤️"

@Lesiba Politician commented:

"She will be a good wife."

@Noxolo Mdlalose shared:

"We do this everyday, but we don't record for likes."

@Kabelo Monyetswale observed:

"You can see she's a good giver ❤️ She gives everything..."

How kindness transforms communities

According to South Africa Good News, acts of kindness have the power to transform communities and create positive change throughout society. The Clover Mama Afrika project has seen firsthand how kindness can build stronger communities and bring hope to those facing difficult times.

Mama Feziwe from the project explains that kindness costs nothing but means everything. She believes that making communities better starts by spreading kindness and love, especially since you never know what battles people are fighting each day. Her approach involves seeking out what people need and helping where possible.

The project shows that kindness creates a ripple effect throughout communities. When people see others being kind, they're inspired to help too. This creates stronger bonds between community members and builds the spirit of Ubuntu that South Africa is known for.

Briefly News spoke to psychological expert Jayshri Rangasamy regarding witnessing acts of kindness and how this inspires other people to also help and share with those in need. She stated that:

"Witnessing acts of kindness can inspire others by evoking empathy and a sense of moral elevation—an uplifting emotional response that encourages people to act more compassionately. These moments highlight the positive impact of kindness and reinforce social norms around generosity and care."

"However, not everyone may feel this emotional pull; individuals with certain psychological conditions, such as antisocial personality disorder, or those who have become emotionally desensitised due to trauma or environment, might not experience empathy in the same way. As a result, their likelihood of being inspired by kindness may be reduced, though other factors like logic, social pressure, or personal values can still influence their behaviour."

3 other stories of heartwarming kindness

• Briefly News recently reported on pupils who helped their teacher with a disability in a sweet video, though the specific way they assisted him surprised many viewers with its thoughtfulness.
• A pensioner walked over five kilometres to get help for his injured dog, but the treatment method that eventually saved his pet was completely unexpected.
• A Limpopo dancer gave his backpack to a young girl carrying books in a plastic bag, though the safety concerns his actions raised had people completely divided.

Source: Briefly News