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, we've been changing lives for 20 years. This #wineforgood month, we're sharing the stories of beneficiaries who we have supported from infancy right through to adolescence. Today, they're self-sufficient and confident young adults who are ready to take on the world! We start with Divinia's story:
22-year-old Divinia van Ster grew up on Bellevue Wine Estate, Stellenbosch. Divinia is the youngest of four children. She has an older sister and two older brothers. Divinia attended the Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre on the farm until the age of six and thereafter attended the Pebbles Project After-School Club.
As a teenager, Divinia dreamed of starting her own business one day: "I’ve always dreamed of opening my own beauty salon."
After she finished high school, Divinia was assisted by the Pebbles Project social work team to obtain a bursary to study a diploma in Business Management at Boland College.
Unfortunately, Divinia felt that she wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time and she ended up dropping out of college. "It was all too much for me. I was overwhelmed by the amount of work," she explains.
After dropping out of college, Divinia decided to find work on nearby farms. The farms employed her on a contractual basis, but she started to feel like something was missing…
It was her older sister who inspired her to return to college. Divinia says, "I’ve always looked up to my sister, I thought to myself that I would also like to be where she is. I don’t want to give up on my dreams."
Divinia contacted the Pebbles Project Early Adulthood Programme (EAP) manager to inform her that she would like to return to college.
The EAP provides support to young adults from farming communities to enroll in further education or training opportunities. They also equip young adults with life skills, soft skills, and support groups so that they can navigate the demands of the tertiary environment.
The Pebbles Project EAP manager provided guidance to Divinia to ensure that she is ready to re-enroll for the Diploma in Business Management. This time around, Divinia was in the right head space. Divinia says, "It felt different. I felt ready to take on the challenge. Even though it was the same course and modules, the workload felt more manageable and not as overwhelming as it did the first time." Divinia obtained distinctions for two of her modules and was delighted to receive two merit awards.
As a requirement of the diploma, Divinia needs to complete 18 months’ worth of practical hours. Divinia is currently completing her practical hours as an intern at the Pebbles Project administration and operations office under the guidance of our administration manager.
Divinia’s family is proud of how far she’s come. "My parents were very proud the day that I told them that I’ve decided to go back to college and try again," she says.
Divinia hopes to graduate in August 2024. We are confident that Divinia will realise her dream of starting her own business and we look forward to celebrate all of her future successes.
Divinia is thankful that Pebbles Project came into her life. She says: "I struggle to put into words just how much Pebbles Project means to me. I always tell people on my farm how much Pebbles does for us; they help with everything. For example, they help us to get our learner’s and driver’s licence. When I was still attending the After-School Club there would always be all the resources we need like laptops, printers, and everything we might need for our school projects. Pebbles is always there to help."
There are plenty of good news stories from the South African Winelands. The #wineforgood campaign, launched by wine.co.za in June 2016, is all about sharing these positive and uplifting stories. We dedicate the month of April to our #wineforgood campaign each year, sharing a good news story every day. Join us in spreading the good news about South African wine. If you'd like to submit a story, please email editor@wine.co.za.