Rough start turns into a life of helping others

Sully Paea is the winner of the inaugural Kiri Award from the Child Development Foundation and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Picture / Richard Robinson

An alcoholic from a violent family, Sully Paea says he once had nothing to live for. Then he figured he could use his experience to help young people stay on track and out of gangs, drugs and prostitution.

Twenty-five years later Mr Paea, a Niuean, has won the inaugural Kiri Award from the Child Development Foundation and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa for his work with South Auckland children.

Mr Paea worked with local schools and communities to find after-hours activities for children.

"When kids have plenty of time on their hands and nothing to do, they get into trouble. So I organised camps, clubs and activities - a base they could be a part of and felt comfortable coming to."

While working with other youth organisations, Mr Paea became frustrated by the limitations placed on him. "They didn't go far enough. So I decided that to achieve what I wanted, I was going to have to establish my own trust."

Fifteen years on, Crosspower Ministries Trust has 22 full-time and part-time volunteer workers. "Some of the children who work for us now are the same kids we worked with back in the early 90s."

Despite his achievements, Mr Paea is modest about his work and believes there is still a lot to be done.

"We live in the 21st century and everyone is busy. Everyone is chasing the dollar and forgetting our responsibilities as parents.

"Parents are too busy to give time to their kids and before they know it, the kids have latched on to gangs, drug dealers, prostitution.

"It is within their power to deal with it, not wait for the Government to do it. Because in our cases, they're not going to come."

Crosspower Ministries Trust is a prime example of this.

"We're not a Government agency. We're just a concerned group of people who have a passion for our kids in the community and want to do something about it."

Helping hand

* The Kiri award honours a New Zealander whose work - paid or unpaid - has made a significant contribution to the well-being of children or young people. It is awarded by the Child Development Foundation in association with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

* The foundation is a charitable education trust, established to help children develop good social and communication skills. Its programmes are used in more than 2000 New Zealand schools.

www.reachingcdf.org.nz/