Teen who lived homeless in 25 homes now teaches others about real connection
Prem, 17, survived homelessness in 25 families and is Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for teaching connection.
Prem Kultonik arrived in Australia at just two months old. By age 12, his father was in prison and his mother struggled with mental health.
Prem found himself sleeping rough on park benches and in garages, working at KFC to survive while attending school. Over two years, 25 families took him in, eventually one couple gave him a stable home.
Now 17, Prem created The Extra Ordinary Life, a youth development program teaching teens about self-belief, connection and purpose. He has run about 10 workshops reaching hundreds of young people, mostly for free.
Prem noticed teens ignoring parents at dinner tables, absorbed in phones. He recognised his own phone addiction had been an escape from loneliness.
His program aims to help young people find the human connections he once lacked.
- 17
- Prem's age
- 25
- Families who took him in
- 2 years
- Years homeless
- About 10
- Workshops run
Why it mattersA teenager who survived homelessness is now teaching peers that real relationships matter more than scrolling.
AustraliaCanberra youth are learning about connection from someone who lived without it. Prem plans to bring his program to Sydney and Melbourne.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 d ago
