By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
It was a day of celebration as hundreds of community members from all walks of life gathered together at a local school to celebrate the 25th anniversary of national NGO, Khulisa Social Solutions.
Khulisa’s history in Alexandra dates back 22 years when, supported by the Dept of Community & Safety, the organisation ran a youth leadership school holiday programme in December 2020, to capacitate Grade 11 learners to become social entrepreneurs, to pay it forward in their community.
The underlying purpose of the event was to promote social cohesion, which is Khulisa’s underlying mission.
Founder and Managing Director of Khulisa, Lesley Ann van Selm, said the key focus is building shared values within marginalised communities to build citizenship and to reduce social and economic exclusion.
In attendance were many of Khulisa’s beneficiaries dating back to the inception of the organisation 22 years ago were present.
They attested to Khulisa’s phenomenal journey and the change that the interventions had effected in the lives of school going children, parents, offenders and victims.
“We are so grateful to Khulisa for having given our daughter such a purpose in life,” said one proud parent.
“We are closer than what we have ever been to our daughter now that she is no longer a drug addict and has taken responsibility for her future.”
This event is a series of celebrations that over 18 offices across the country will be celebrating during the course of this year.
The event also marked the official launch of the Khulisa Peacemaking Intervention, which commenced in Alex in July 2021 following the looting incident.
The Peacemaking Project involving over 50 NGOs in Alexandra will be aimed at building peacemaking activities, creating an inclusive collective space for experience sharing and conflict resolution.
It is anticipated that over 30,000 community members in Alex will directly benefit from this intervention.
