Sophia Warner dropped a pebble into the South African Winelands in 2004, and the ripples are now reaching right across the Western Cape from Citrusdal to Wellington, Somerset West, Stellenbosch and Hermanus (Hemel en Aarde) and there seems to be no stopping it.
Real transformation takes years and it is very encouraging to see the fruits of all the efforts over the many years, starting with their Baby Programme, to ECD (Early Childhood Development), offering After Care facilities including Sport, Art and Craft, and now looking at extending their care to older people.
Some of the children who started at Pebbles 14 years ago are now graduating from various colleges, and already there are 8 in the graduate list!
The School Leavers' programme is a very important focus of the Pebbles Project and Mineke Toerien and Bernadette November, who run it, clearly have the right approach. When asking Bernadette what she does she responds "'Whatever it takes!"'
This sentiment clearly reflects how the Pebbles team operate and this culture of getting things done, no matter what, is tangibly present throughout the organisation.
The first graduate to go through the School Leavers' programme is Abigal Rose, who grew up on Eikendal farm just outside Somerset West. Her stepfather is a general farm worker there, and her mum is a cleaner at a guest house in Stellenbosch.
Abigal attended the After School Club Facility at Eikendal from the age of 9 when Pebbles started working in the winelands and attended high school at Stellenzicht High School in Jamestown and in 2013, when needing to complete matric she was ill and could not write her exams. Pebbles then assisted her to attend Boland College in Stellenbosch, where she did her Level 2-4 course in Tourism which is equivalent to matric. She continued to study there and finished her Level 4 course in 2016, graduated in 2017 and then worked on the Zetler farm packing strawberries, until an internship opportunity opened up in the Hemel en Aarde.
She joined Creation Wines in Nov 2017 and Abigal is so proud to be independent, "Ï have my own flat now in Caledon and so excited as I am working towards having my own car!''
Giving people hope and showing them a way forward is definitely the way to go for transformation in South Africa and with so many wonderful organisations making a difference in South Africa, I have great confidence in the future of the country. Slow but sure.
Real transformation takes years.
These are the many areas which the Pebbles Team focuses on
Besides making a huge difference in people's lives, the Pebbles gang sure know how to party and now you too can let your hair down, dress up and in so doing, support an amazing initiative:
#TankReloaded2018 - will be at the Two Oceans Aquarium - just after Cape Wine - on Friday 14th Sept:
The Masquerade Ball - will be at the Laurent function venue on Lourensford Wine Estate - on Friday 26th Oct:
For more info on Pebbles - please visit their website www.pebbletrust.co.za or visit their Facebook page or call them on 021 865 1003
There are many pics of the AGM available HERE - and make sure you keep abreast of Pebbles activities in our Spotlight Page
Be a pebble in your own pond
#wineforgood