Having grown up in a one room home with his mom and 7 siblings, Thulani knew from an early age that he wanted to help make a difference for youth who grow up in similar challenging environments. In 2007, Thulani co-founded the Kliptown Youth Program (KYP) in Soweto, South Africa, and now Thulani and his colleagues are making a HUGE difference for the children who are growing up in the same neighborhood as he did.
In 2012, Thulani was nominated for the CNN Hero of the Year award, and out of 24,000 initial nominations, Thulani was recognized as one of the 10 finalists for the award. He received a $50,000 award for being one of the finalists, and with this award, Thulani and the KYP foundation created and built a computer lab for the residents to use.
In recent travels to South Africa, Paul was honored to spend some time with Thulani at the Kliptown Youth Program. Thulani’s story is inspiring. He is inspiring. His colleagues are inspiring. The children of KYP are inspiring. Thulani, KYP, and the community members of Kliptown are to live for!
Thank you, Thulani, for taking a few moments to share your wisdom and passion with us!
More information about KYP can be found at http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/.
