StudentDoet: sweating on the city farm and playing bingo with seniors

At the BuytenDelft children’s farm, Anoek and Mirre from the Hooke study association (Nanobiology) watch how their colleagues ‘move water’. It is not completely clear how this needs to be done. “But all going well, the supervisor will explain how it works,” says Anoek.

She joined the volunteer students day for the second time. “We built a fireplace last year. I really like seeing what you have done at the end of the day so I signed up again this year.”

Giving back to the city

The StudentDoet Day (literally students do it day, Eds), an initiative of Student Volunteering Delft (SVD) and the ORAS Student Council, is being held for the third year in a row. The objective? That students give something back to the city.

This year there are seven student activities spread around Delft which various foundations and study and student associations can join. One of these is SHS Delft (in Dutch), a non-profit that turns empty property into student housing.

They are still to boogie on down

One of the projects is Abtswoude Bloeit, a former care home where senior citizens, students, ex-homeless people and Ukrainian refugees live together. At the back of the ‘neighbourhood living room’ in the complex, SHS Chair Jan Pieter is working on a cheerful wall mural with four other students.

The residents chose the theme themselves. Or rather, “The residents could choose from geometric or botanical,” explains Jan Pieter. “They chose botanical so we made a geometric botanical design.”

Jan Pieter says that the result is striking. “The mural on the outside wall of the building was very popular, but more colour was needed inside.”

Golden oldies

In the meantime, one ‘golden oldie’ after another booms from the speakers in the Delfshove care centre. Students from Practische Studie, Civil Engineering’s study association, are holding a music bingo session for the residents.

While they are yet to boogie on down, the elderly men and women exuberantly move their arms in the air to the music.

Bingo cards with songs from the likes of Lenny Kuhr, Willy Alberti and Ramses Shaffy lie on the table in front of them. When they recognise a song, they cross it off. It’s bingo when they get a full row.

In answer to the question whether the students had chosen the songs, the DJ says no. That the students are not familiar with the songs becomes very apparent when Toreador by Jacques Herb is played. “Torredorre?”, reads the presenter hesitatingly from her paper. “Tor-ee-aa-dor,” one of the residents says laughing.

Food bank
The day is closed with a benefit concert at the Brouwplein where several student bands make their appearance. The volunteers behind the bar tap beers for a good cause. The profits of the sales go entirely to the food bank.