South Auckland’s finest Sully Paea honoured for dedication to help local youth

The Paea family on the well-known social worker's special day. Photo / Sharlene Ferguson

Ōtara youth worker Sullivan Sully Paea has been honoured for his dedication to improving the lives of young people in South Auckland.

Paea, 71, has been named on the New Year’s Honours list for 2023; having been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit at Government House Auckland on April 13.

“I feel like I’ve won a gold medal for Ōtara. I feel very honoured to be recognised in that way.”

Revered by some in the community as ‘the Godfather’ of youth development, Paea has spent most of his life in service to his local people.

Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand and Sully Paea at Government House Auckland. Photo / gg.govt.nz

Reflecting on some of the challenging moments on his journey, he remembers a time when his home was burgled by a number of young people he had helped.

He was left shaken - but also saw his former self in them.

“I had no respect. I didn’t think about anything other than myself,” he told the Herald.

His childhood in Niue was marred by abuse in foster care, so he left in search of a better life in Aotearoa.

Once here, he found himself caught up in alcoholism, gangs and stealing. But he turned his life around after a spiritual encounter, he says.

Generations in Ōtara have fond memories with Sully. Photo / Sully Paea Facebook

His love for people and his new home, Ōtara, saw a young Paea throw himself head first into community work. Eventually, his tank ran dry.

Burnt out and frustrated with the constant struggle, Paea and his family moved south to Christchurch.

“I took two and a half years away from Ōtara to get away from it all. But we ended up doing the same thing there. It was a little bit more low-key and slow-paced.

“That gave me an opportunity to reset and fill my cup. I was ready to come back,” he said.

“I learned how to pace myself. Before that, it was about the youth 24-7. There was nothing left in me.”

On returning to South Auckland, he found a love for repairing and restoring motorcycles and bicycles; as well as other hands-on activities like carving.

Sully Paea loves to carve traditional vaka and pass his knowledge down to the next generation in south Auckland. Photo/Sully Paea Facebook

He passes on his passions to the community, teaching practical and transferable skills.

He and his wife Jo-Anne established the East Tāmaki Youth Resource Centre and Crosspower Ministries Trust.

More recently, Paea worked with Affirming Works and dance collective Lighthouse Famz to create Powerhouse.

The Paea family was behind the popular early 2000s dance academy Dziah which saw the likes of Parris Goebel hone their craft to go on and cement themselves in the international dance scene.

He helps Pacific youth to reconnect to their roots by leading the way, learning Vagahau Niue (Niuean language) with his family and carving vaka to teach the next generation about their sea-navigating ancestors.

History starting to repeat itself

His initiatives have given young people spaces to be themselves, away from the social issues that plague their home lives.

But he says the issues he saw in the 1970s are even more prevalent now.

Sully's wife Jo-Anne has been there every step of the way. Photo / Supplied

“There’s an increase of everything. Poverty. Lack of education. Drugs are readily available. Gangs are growing in numbers. The issue has gone back to square one.”

He is confident in the capability of the community to address its own issues but says under-resourcing is killing local efforts.

‘Only the hood can change the hood’

“I think the responsibility now is for the Ōtara community village to raise the child - rather than people who come from outside.

“They’re here for a job. They’re here because it pays them. But their heart isn’t in it.”

Paea calls for the system to stop making community organisations compete for funding. He encourages collaboration between local grassroots initiatives.

“I believe the community has the answer. We just need resources. This is our home.”

On Ōtara Creek in the 80's when Sully started his canoe club. Photo / Sully Paea Facebook

It looks like Paea’s job is about to get harder under the Auckland Council’s draft budget proposal.

Mayor Wayne Brown has pencilled in an $8 million cut for contestable regional grants across arts, events, community recreation, environment, and heritage.

Another $20m may be dropped from community and social innovation and economic development programmes, including art events programmes.

Regardless of the outcome, Paea will continue to do what he does best - working to improve the lives of young people in Ōtara because as he puts it: “Only the hood can change the hood.”

— This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air