New awards honour youngsters who defy odds

Jerome Nansen, 14, has turned his life around. Picture / Paul Estcourt

As a young child, Jerome Nansen suffered constant mental and physical abuse by his own family.

By the age of 12 he was living most of his life on the street, involved in gang-fights and drugs.

"It was violent, a pretty rough time," says the softly spoken South Auckland teenager.

But two years later Jerome has turned his life around. After an unplanned visit to church he decided to get his life back on track, is now in a stable home with his grandparents and goes to school every day, where he has set up a student development group.

The 14-year-old is one of the first winners of a new award to recognise youngsters who have overcome difficulties to inspire and lead others.

"Receiving this award is great because I know that, even from the roughest backgrounds, you can still come good," he said.

"I didn't like myself and wanted to change. It was just putting in the hard yards."

The inaugural Leaps & Bounds awards ceremony is on tonight at the Hyatt Regency in Auckland.

It has been created by the Child Development Foundation in partnership with the Outward Bound Trust. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will present the awards as guest-of-honour.

Another winner is Cameron Houston, 13, who spends three months of every year in hospital being treated for cystic fibrosis.

Despite the debilitating genetic disorder, which affects his respiratory and digestive systems, Cameron is head of his school debating team, one of the top academic performers and a keen sportsman.

"I'm lucky because the hospital is quite close to school, so if I'm feeling well enough I can go," said the Napier teenager.

"I was so stoked to hear I had won the award, it's just awesome."

There are seven winners. As well as their awards, they have won an eight-day Outward Bound course to help them develop leadership skills.

Gaye Moriarty, national director of the Child Development Foundation, said the awards were about recognising the good stories behind some children's lives.

She said the seven winners were "potential leaders of tomorrow."