Paris’ Basketball dreams

Hi there!! My name is Rjay Joseph, I am the Uncle of Paris Paikea and I would like to tell you his story, and what has led to my family and I creating this give a little page.

Paris is 13 years old and is currently in intermediate. My mother became his legal guardian 2 years ago, and whilst in her care, she discovered he had learning disabilities which included dyslexia. He was always very quiet and reserved, but this was made prominent at school as he found most subjects challenging.

On top of the dyslexia, he lacked social skills and guidance. So I introduced him to the game of basketball as I knew it would benefit him in all areas - communication, and building leadership qualities.

After weeks of training, he fell in love with the game. He found his voice and his confidence. He decided to try out for his school team and was picked. He delevoped a willingness to be better and this is where he took flight.

Fast forward 2 years, he has now been selected to play for multiple teams within the Counties Manukau area and the U13 Auckland Regional Team. With the multiple teams he's apart of, come the expenses. This includes uniforms, travel, accomodation and general upkeep of basketball equipment as well as game/coach fees.

We try our hardest to fund his sporting needs but with all the costs, it can get overwhelming. As he excels in his basketball career, we are extremely weary that costs will continue to grow. so any help will be much appreciated in helping Paris moving forward.