Pebbles Project is a non-profit organisation in Stellenbosch that enriches the lives of disadvantaged farm children and families through education. Operating throughout the Western Cape, they have changed the lives of many vulnerable people. One of these people is Perchwin. Read his story:
17-year-old Perchwin de Bruin grew up on Kaapzicht Wine Estate where he lives with his parents and three sisters. Both his parents work on Kaapzicht. Perchwin attended the Pebbles Project Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre on the farm until the age of six and currently attends the Pebbles Project After-School Club.
Perchwin receives support from the Pebbles Project Social Work team. When one of the social workers went on maternity leave, a social worker by the name of Eunice stood in and took Perchwin under her wing and has since formed a strong bond with him. Eunice suggested that Perchwin take art lessons as a form of therapeutic intervention and arranged for him to take art lessons at “I Am Art” in Stellenbosch.
Perchwin discovered his love for art when he was 11 years old. "I love drawing," he says. "My first drawings were all of cartoons, but now I’ve realised that I enjoy drawing faces the most."
The artwork that Perchwin made during his time at “I Am Art,” is a self-portrait. It was his first time drawing with charcoal. His artwork was exhibited as part of a group art exhibition, alongside the other students of “I Am Art.”
Perchwin’s artwork was sold within the first hour of the exhibition. His Mother, father, Eunice, and a Pebbles Project social worker came to support him on the day of the exhibition.
Perchwin’s family and friends are all extremely supportive of his art: "They are all very proud of me, especially my mother."
For Perchwin, art is a form of therapy which helps him to escape the daily struggles that he’s faced with. He says: "When I am making art, I feel relaxed and like I can let go of all my stress and worries."
When asked whether he wants to continue to make art, Perchwin says: "I want to grow my talent by taking more art lessons and learning from others."
Perchwin’s dream is to be a visual artist one day and to have his own solo art exhibition. "Once I realised that my dream is to become an artist, all I could think was, 'I want to keep on making art, I want to keep on growing my talent. I don’t want to stop.'"
Perchwin feels supported by Pebbles Project: "I feel like Pebbles is always there to help me. They really care about people. They help you get to where you dream to be."
There are plenty of good news stories about upliftment and transformation in the South African wine industry. The #wineforgood website, launched by wine.co.za in June 2016, hosts all the positive stories from the winelands, of which there are plenty. wine.co.za has made April a focus for #wineforgood stories. Share them far and wide and spread the good news about South African wine. If you'd like to submit a story, please email editor@wine.co.za.