Across South Africa, the headlines are grim: violence in schools is spiralling, public spaces are becoming no-go zones, and communities are fragmenting under the weight of fear, poverty, and substance abuse. But there is another story—one we urgently need to hear.

Khulisa Social Solutions is currently interviewing children across the country to ask a deceptively simple question: How would you solve this violence? Through our SIT (Systemic-Informed Therapy) Lived Experience Process, we are moving away from the traditional top-down approach and instead listening to the raw, unfiltered insights of young people who face these realities daily.

Their answers are both heartbreaking and hopeful. Children and caregivers talk about conflicts erupting over scarce resources, the toxic pull of drugs and alcohol that spike during school holidays, and the suffocating fear of local drug dealers that keeps families locked indoors. They share the quiet pain of being excluded from decisions that directly shape the safety of their schools and streets, and the corrosive impact of xenophobia that pits neighbour against neighbour.

Yet within these conversations lies a blueprint for change. Caregivers and youth imagine communities rebuilt through respect, dialogue, and trust. They call for practical, human-scale solutions: sports and choirs to keep youth engaged, faith-based initiatives to nurture hope, safe spaces where children can play without fear, and cultural festivals that celebrate diversity instead of division. Women and caregivers see themselves as peacebuilders, modelling patience and resilience even as leadership structures fail to support them.

This work is not abstract research—it is an urgent intervention. Our SIT findings confirm what we have long argued: violence in schools cannot be solved by discipline codes alone. It mirrors the conflict, inequality, and trauma simmering in our communities. Public spaces become battlegrounds when trust breaks down and fear prevails.

Khulisa’s approach is to transform these insights into tangible actions. This includes supporting local dialogue circles to rebuild trust, training NGOs and community leaders in conflict resolution, substance abuse prevention, and anti-xenophobia programmes. It also involves advocating for real infrastructure—playgrounds, soup kitchens, trauma support centres—to make safety visible. 

Additionally, it means investing in the people who hold communities together: the mothers, grandmothers, and young leaders who recognise what needs to be done.

The solutions are there. They always have been. It’s time we listened.