Khulisa Social Solutions, in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD), has successfully launched Voices of Change. This innovative, child-led crime prevention initiative empowers young learners to address critical social challenges in their communities.

Conducted at Selukhanyo Primary School in Strand from 24–27 March 2025, the project directly engaged 200 Grade 7 learners in shaping solutions for bullying, gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, and youth crime. Uniquely integrating responsible AI tools with participatory learning methods, Voices of Change marks a pioneering step forward in responsive, community-rooted social development.

“At the heart of Voices of Change is the belief that children are not just passive recipients of adult decisions—they are agents of change with powerful insights,” said Lesley Ann Van Selm, Founder and Managing Director of Khulisa Social Solutions. “By fusing dialogue circles with real-time AI-supported analysis, we were able to co-create meaningful interventions directly with young people.”

Empathy Meets Innovation

Microsoft Copilot and other AI tools complemented Khulisa’s renowned dialogue circle methodology, enabling real-time sentiment analysis, emotion mapping, and thematic tracking. Learners shared their stories through art, journaling, role-playing, and storytelling—becoming, in effect, data scientists of their own lives.

Highlights of the Project:

• 200+ learners directly involved
• 500+ creative expressions analysed
• Dozens of at-risk students were identified and referred for support
• Emotional healing and trust reported by teachers and social workers

Key themes emerged: trauma, empathy, and the desire for systemic change. From symbolic “Armor of Respect” shields to campaigns promoting digital citizenship, students proposed actionable strategies rooted in their lived realities.

Strategic Alignment and Sustainability

Voices of Change aligns with the Department of Social Development’s core priorities, including child protection, youth empowerment, violence prevention, and family strengthening. It provides a cost-effective, scalable model for social impact—one grounded in listening and guided by data.

As part of the sustainability strategy, Khulisa recommends quarterly dialogue circles in schools, training peer facilitators, and integrating insights generated by students into school governance and planning. A digital repository of stories and artwork will serve as a knowledge base for replication across the province and beyond.

A New Benchmark for Participatory Development

Khulisa Social Solutions envisions this child-centred, AI-enhanced approach as a blueprint for transforming community engagement with young people in social change. The organisation is actively exploring opportunities to expand the model on a national scale.