NPO Khulisa Social Solutions is using artificial intelligence to address struggles in schools!
South Africa (24 April 2025) — South African NPO Khulisa Social Solutions is using AI to the advantage of schools and communities in a bid to address increasing violence, trauma, and substance abuse—struggles at schools across the country.
An organisation dedicated to driving social change through innovative and evidence-based programs from restorative justice initiatives to community capacity-building projects, Khulisa’s latest dose of innovation is well on brand.
The approach is said to combine real-time artificial intelligence (AI) with lived experiences to generate solutions directly from the people most affected—learners, educators, and communities.
Piloted in the Western Cape and expanded to Gauteng, the model uses expressive art forms like poetry, murals, storytelling, music, drama and digital narratives to help unearth underlying challenges and ultimately, guide action toward these struggles at schools.
How It Works
By analysing emotional themes and community expressions, Khulisa’s platform is able to create instant dashboards. These alert schools and partners to urgent issues like bullying, GBV, and mental health risks much faster than traditional methods would.
Tools like Digital Storytelling Circles and Dialogue Quilts also play a hand in empowering the learners themselves; all while helping NGOS and schools co-create targeted interventions.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Aligned with the Department of Social Development’s Tripartite Partnership Agreement (TPA), this scalable model blends tech with trauma-informed facilitation and real-time M&E. But it’s draw card is that it’s a striking move away from outdated, one-size-fits-all interventions as the NPO explains.
By gathering insights through expressive activities like art, drama, journaling, storytelling, and song, and analysing them with advanced AI, communities can feel seen and heard in real-time with fewer barriers to expression.
This approach then enables tailored responses that respect local realities while figuring out long-term solutions!
According to Khulisa, frontline staff and partner NGOS will receive training to utilise the tools and interpret the AI-generated data. Through dashboards and behavioural tracking, patterns such as increasing absenteeism, aggression, or disengagement will be swiftly identified and addressed, preventing their escalation.
Beyond Schools
Because of the initiative’s holistic prospects, it need not be limited to the school gate.
“Families, SAPS, clinics, ward councillors, and local leaders are brought into the fold. This cross-sector compact builds trust and drives systemic change,” the NPO says.
The model is also said to be adaptable; meaning it can be applied to urban, peri-urban, or rural settings, ensuring no community is overlooked.
“As more data is collected, predictive insights will further enhance interventions, making it one of the most dynamic school and community response models currently available in South Africa,” explained the Khulisa team.
Joining the movement
Khulisa is calling on funders, CSI initiatives, and the government to expand this high-impact model throughout South Africa.
“This is more than an intervention—it’s a shift in how we build trust and drive systemic change,” says Lesley Ann van Selm, Managing Director.
Sources: Supplied
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