Paris collaborates with chef Nic Watt on a pizza as part of the Variety of Chefs show. Photo / Greg Bowker
Paris is an East Auckland boy whose mum couldn't afford a winter uniform, but Kiwi Kid sponsorship, which works in a similar way to the dollar-a-day schemes run for children in developing countries, means he won't be going to school freezing.
The sponsorship programme is run by Variety - The
Children's Charity. Donations starting at $35 a month ensure a child's basic needs are being met - warm clothing, doctors' visits and school costs are some of the items funded.
The Year Seven student will be cooking at a Variety fundraiser for the programme on August 2 where three chefs from SkyCity - Nic Watt, Paul Jobin and Sean Connolly - will be serving a three-course meal for 500.
His mum Cathy watched last week as he met Mr Watt for the first time and returned the sponsorship favour by cooking him a pizza. She has two other boys at the same school and said the sponsorship had helped her buy winter uniform trackpants and send Paris off to camp. They were things she had no way of paying for.
"It's an amazing programme, it allows Paris to fit in. I'm a mum and dad to my boys. For me sponsors are heroes without capes, selfless people - they're helping a child that they don't even know. It's a big thing."
