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What was supposed to be a holiday to South Africa for UK-based special needs teacher, Sophia, resulted in establishing an organisation that has touched and changed so many lives.
For the seed to grow, Sophia, with the help of her sister, Lucy, needed wine farms to come on board to assist, and the Pebbles Project became a reality with the first five member farms.
Since its inception in 2004, the organisation has impacted the lives of many children and their families by providing support and intervention in their five identified key areas: Education, Health, Nutrition and social work services.
The main objective is to enrich the lives of disadvantaged children and families in the agricultural communities of the Western Cape. Pebbles focuses on the entire life of the child and the challenging circumstances in which they live to make a significant and lasting difference. This is achieved through providing support and training to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres on farms and establishing an after-school provision for older children living in the Cape Winelands and beyond.
Initially, the objective was to create only the ECD centres, but over the years other integral needs were identified, which led to the establishment of 19 after-school clubs and two clinics, as well as access to primary schools to allow for quality education for learners between the ages of six and 13 years, enabling them to reach their full academic potential. The Pebbles Clinic, launched in 2014, offers accessible healthcare services, promotes preventative care and extends a range of medical treatments to patients.
One of the dream items on Sophia’s list was to establish a kitchen to feed the families who are part of the Pebbles Project. In 2019, this dream turned into a reality with the launch of The Pebbles Kitchen, a 450sqm food production facility based in Stellenbosch where approximately 2500 meals are produced each day.
Pebbles celebrates outstanding learners for 2022
On the 30th of November 2022, Pebbles hosted a Legacy Awards Ceremony. We currently have 4 Legacy and Character Awards that are handed out annually. The Jo Clifton Award is for the most improved ECD learner, the Eugene Isaacs Award is for leadership in the After-School Clubs, the Hans Hessler Award is for the top academic performer and finally, the Andrew Fredericks Award is awarded to a learner who shows integrity, leadership, confidence, and kindness to their peers.
The ceremony was attended Pebbles staff, trustees, beneficiaries and their parents.
This annual ceremony gives us an opportunity to celebrate learners who have stood out during the year. Their teachers and parents were so proud.
We would like to thank the legacy donors and families for being involved and handing out the awards as well as Joostenberg Deli for the refreshments and venue and Villiera Wines for the wine and bubbles.