How trade can help South African wine industry's disadvantaged children through Pebbles Project

By Richard Siddle

Published: 08 December, 2014

Celebrating 10 years of South Africa's Pebbles Project, Harpers.co.uk finds out what the charity has done to help children in the winelands and what more the trade can do to help.

Sophia Warner, co-founder of the charity, said it has raised more than R25 million (£1.45 million) in the past 10 years to help children suffering from foetal alcohol spectrum disorders initially, before widening to help with education for all children on South African winelands.

Sophia Warner, co-founder, Pebbles Project Sophia Warner, co-founder, Pebbles ProjectSophia Warner, co-founder, Pebbles Project

It runs education programmes, after-school clubs and parent workshops on money management, substance abuse and other topics.

While education is its main focus, it has also added health, nutrition, community and protection programmes.

Warner told Harpers.co.uk: "Major milestones would include receiving a Most Innovative ECD Programme award for our mobile toy library in 2010; tipping the R25 million (£1.45 million) in funds raised over the past 10 years; the arrival of our clinic-building donation earlier this year; and the launch of two new mobile programmes - a computer lab and book library - also this year."

Funding is a major challenge, especially in 2012 when the recession hit, and a desire to expand to other needy communities, but lacking the monies to do so is difficult.

Pebbles is now seeing more of its learners finishing school and going on to tertiary education, or getting better jobs than they could have done before our intervention. "One of our after-school-club children is now working as a firefighter as a result of an outing that we took him on to the local fire station; another young girl has completed drama college after being inspired by our drama classes on her farm. We also have one learner heading to university next year to study accountancy. We have noticed a drop in teen pregnancy numbers and fewer children are dropping out of school early. Our younger children are starting school better prepared and with the skills they need to succeed," Warner said.

The UK wine sector has played an important role in supporting the charity, with Off-Piste Wines, PLB, Accolade, JF Hillebrand UK and Marks & Spencer - as well as UK trusts and foundations all offering support.

Individuals can get involved by sponsoring a child for £15 per month which goes towards providing educational support, toys, games and equipment to our ECD centres. Alternatively, people can make a one-off contribution by sponsoring a school pack, whih includes a new school bag, stationery, uniform and shoes.

Pebbles works with over 850 children, from three months to 18 years and hope to help 1,000 by the end of the year. It has 31 facilities and 62 staff members. We also support two township ECD centres and works with approximately 600 parents. Its clinic provides medical and dental services to over 1,200 patients.

If you would like to donate money to the Pebbles Project then you can do so by emailing sophia@pebblesproject.co.za or by going to pebblesproject.co.za

You can read a full interview with Warner here.

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