Jen Rowe joined “Good Things with Brent Lindeque” to talk about her son Ky, the story behind KY-ND and why choosing our words with care could matter more than we realise.
South Africa (30 September 2026) – What if we were all just a little more careful with each other? A little more thoughtful with our words, a little quicker to check in and a little more willing to sit beside someone who might need us? That is the thinking behind KY-ND. And this week I got to meet the mom turning that idea into something incredibly special.
On this week’s Good Things with Brent Lindeque poddie, I sat down with Jen Rowe, whose life changed forever on the 9th of August 2022 when her son, Ky, died by suicide.
Good Things Guy first shared Jen’s story in January this year, introducing South Africa to KY-ND, an initiative created from unimaginable heartbreak but driven by love and purpose. Jen wanted to honour Ky’s life while encouraging people to think more deeply about the words they use and the impact the smallest acts of kindness can have.
“Since Ky died, I have had a deep sense of wanting to honour his life and legacy by trying to reach out and help others who may be feeling alone and unworthy as he did in his life.”
The name KY-ND came from friends who wrote about Ky’s kindness as “Kynd“, while the tree in the logo comes from a tattoo Ky had on his chest. What started with Jen sitting on a bench at Ky’s school, available to any learner who needed someone to talk to, has grown into a community built around connection and a very simple idea… if you see someone sitting alone, go and sit next to them.
“I didn’t know how to do that, so I started with a bench at Ky’s school where I sat during break and if anyone wanted to come and chat I was there. The thought is that if anyone is sitting on Ky’s bench alone, go and sit next to them and just be.”
And from that bench, KY-ND has continued to grow. There are KY-ND T-shirts designed to start conversations, more benches carrying the message, connections being made between complete strangers and more than R55,000 raised for Operation Smile South Africa. But at the heart of everything Jen is doing is something far simpler, reminding people that words matter, kindness matters and people need to know that they matter too.
This week’s poddie gave us the chance to talk about all of it. We spoke about Ky, about being a mom, about grief and love, about the way we speak to ourselves and each other and about what kindness with real intent and purpose actually looks like.
Jen’s story carries enormous heartbreak, but our conversation is also filled with so much love. Love for Ky, love for her family and love being turned outwards towards people who may desperately need someone to notice them.
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We may never know what someone else is dealing with when we pass them, sit beside them, see them at school or work, or scroll past their name on our phones. But we can check in. We can choose our words with kindness. We can make the call. We can sit next to someone on the bench. And we can all be a little more KY-ND.
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