( CNN ) -- The South African slum of Kliptown has long suffered from high rates of unemployment , crime and school dropouts , and the end of apartheid did little to change the situation . But hundreds of children are starting to find hope thanks to Thulani Madondo , who is changing the community through education . Madondo 's nonprofit , the Kliptown Youth Program , provides free academic support , meals and after-school activities to more than 400 children living in the slum . CNN asked Madondo for his thoughts on being chosen as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 . CNN : What do you hope this recognition will mean for the Kliptown Youth Program ? Thulani Madondo : It means we can continue to grow as an organization , and it has helped us educate people about the life that we live here . Kliptown is one of the very old communities around Soweto , but it 's still lacking in things like schools , electricity , running water . We use communal bathrooms . But this does n't stop the children in our program from continuing to believe in their dreams . The recognition has also taught us that through hard work everything is possible , but it has also brought us a big challenge : We should always be working hard , because we will never know who is watching us ! CNN : What was the reaction when you found out you were a top 10 CNN Hero ? Madondo : KYP people heard me shouting , and they wanted to know what was happening . I immediately told them that we have made it ! They went straight to the computers to double-check . After that , we started singing our KYP songs , celebrating that we are part of history in the making for our country and continent . Tears fell from my eyes , thinking how proud my mom was going to be seeing her struggle paying off to the nation . And I was then touched when a colleague said this achievement is dedicated to my late brother , Xolani Dube , who passed away in April . More from CNN Heroes : Finding 'diamonds ' in Paradise City . CNN : How will you use the $ 50,000 award you receive for being selected as a top 10 CNN Hero ? Madondo : Our plan is to build a computer lab , provide school uniforms for the year 2013 and buy a solar geyser ( to heat water ) for our kitchen . It will also help provide relevant training for our staff so that we can be more competent in the work that we do . We believe that is very important , so our team can also grow with the organization . We want to strengthen the programs that we have , especially the tutorial program . We 've been visiting a number of educational institutions around Johannesburg to see how we can strengthen it , what resources and skills we need . For us to succeed , we need to make sure our tutorial program is strong . CNN : What do you want people to know most about your work ? Madondo : The most important thing that I would like people to know about KYP is that it is an organization that is community-needs driven , and it is led by the youth of Kliptown that want to break the poverty cycle that has existed for many decades . This will be done through formal and nonformal education , where people will be empowered in things they are good at . ... We believe that if people are guided to what they are interested in , that is setting them up for success . Read the full story on CNN Hero Thulani Madondo : . Helping 'Kliptown ' kids take control of their future . More Q & As from top 10 Heroes : . ' A ray of hope ' where girls did n't count . A voice for America 's caregiving kids . After losing daughter , dad vows to change culture . Seeking justice for Haiti 's rape victims .
Thulani Madondo was named one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 . The film is based on a true story about an African American man who became a fugitive after being wrongfully accused and convicted for killing two white men in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. Now he 's reaching out to hundreds of kids there , providing free academic support . Who should be the CNN Hero of the Year ? Cast your vote now !