Khulisa Social Solutions is an international non-profit organization established in 1997. It has 33 offices throughout South Africa and has won multiple awards for community development and social enterprise. Khulisa has three main pillars that drive their projects: crime prevention, community and leadership development, and social enterprise and business development. It aims to address the root causes behind homelessness and crime. By collaboratively developing plans with Khulisa and our liaison, Jesse Laitinen, we created a welcoming space that aims to assist the homeless and marginalized community around the Canterbury Street lot.
Jesse Laitinen is the Strategic Partnerships Manager at Khulisa Social Solutions. After graduating from the University of Helsinki with a Political Science degree, followed by a decade of managing a fund dedicated for civil society grants by the government of Finland, Jesse joined Khulisa in 2011. Her work is part of Khulisa’s drive to bring fresh thinking in how to solve some of the most intractable social challenges South Africa faces.

Jesse is passionate about inspiring and empowering all South Africans, ensuring also those currently marginalized have opportunities to exercise their greatness. She launched Streetscapes in order to uplift people living on the streets by providing them work and personal growth opportunities.