Pebbles Project Reaches A Major Milestone

Thursday, 2 October, 2014
Pebbles
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Pebbles Project who have established themselves firmly within the wine industry as an organisation which aims to enrich the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with special educational needs.

Started as a tiny pebble by Sophia Warner who came to South Africa from the UK with a 13-year background in special needs teaching, the organization has developed into a much larger pebble, all thanks to the support of the wine industry and other role players.

The Pebbles Project was started in 2004 with the main emphasis on children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but after a lot of research and advice from local specialists, they widened their scope to support the holistic development of children. While still maintaining the core education focus, each year Sophia and her team pinpoint a need in the community on which to concentrate, and this year there has been a big focus on the health and wellbeing of the children, adults and the greater communities they are currently working in. The three areas for 2014 have been the launch of the Nutrition Programme, the opening of the Owethu Clinic and the first Pebbles Wellness Day.

Currently the Food for Thought Nutrition Programme provides breakfast, lunch and two snacks a day for 110 children within the Pebbles Project organisation and the goal within the next few months is to have 250 children benefitting from this programme.

Launched in late 2013 the Owethu Clinic currently offers health services to eight farms with a total of 792 children on the Hello Health Database. Established as a result of a major donation of clinic infrastructure from the Cipla Foundation and support from Villiera wine farm, the clinic offers a free service to the children, with adults paying a nominal monthly contribution, from neighbouring farms in the form of basic medical and dental services, family planning and wellness programmes.

The latest project was a Wellness Day which, which took place on 6th September and saw 120 children and 13 staff members benefit from this programme. Topics for the day included Human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, coping with puberty, substance abuse, oral hygiene and rape. A cause close to the organisation’s heart, the event was purposely held close to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awarness Day. FASD Awareness Day is held on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year symbolizing the nine months of pregnancy when a woman should abstain from alcohol. As an organization the Pebbles Project recognizes the serious implications of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and the plight of individuals and families who struggle with FASD.

‘In the last 10 years the Pebbles Project has come so far, and we couldn’t have done this without the love and support of all our donors, sponsors and supporters, who make our work possible,’says Founder and Director Sophia Warner. ‘We look forward to the next 10 years!’

For more information about the organisation and how you can get involved contact Angela Joyner at angela@pebblesproject.co.za.