The Pebbles Story

The Pebbles Project was established in 2004 to offer support to children with special educational needs, particularly those whose lives are affected by alcohol in some way, in the Western Cape of South Africa.

The Pebbles Project was established in 2004 to offer support to children with special educational needs, particularly those whose lives are affected by alcohol in some way, in the Western Cape of South Africa.

We are a registered Educational Trust - IT4088/2004,
PBO (Public Benefit Organisation) - 930017224
and NPO (Non Profit Organisation) - 049-950-NPO.
We registered in the UK in 2008 - Charity number 1123172.

The Pebbles Project believes that if a child, particularly one with special needs of any kind, is supported and given the necessary education at an early age, their future is so much brighter.

Pebbles works closely with the wine farm owners, who support our work and assist us with the upliftment of their farm worker communities and the education of the workers' children. Some of the farms that we support simply request basic créche teacher training, resources and guidance; however the majority of farms request our full range of services.
Pebbles also supports township créches in Somerset West and Stellenbosch.

Research has confirmed that there are high numbers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the Western Cape of South Africa, as well as those with many other learning difficulties. There is also a high number of children whose lives are affected negatively by alcohol due to parental drinking, neglect, and communities where drinking is a problem. Pebbles does not diagnose children with suspected FASD, but instead offer support for staff so they are able to identify learning difficulties and assist with these.

Pebbles offers the créches and after-school clubs the following services:

• Renovation of buildings for créches and after-school clubs.
• Provision of buildings for créches and after-school clubs if needed.
• Training for all créche and after-school club staff members - on Early Childhood Development, Setting up and Managing a créche, Créche Activities, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, School Readiness etc, plus training for after-school club staff on managing and delivering after-school club activities and programmes.
• Educational resources and equipment - toys, games, outdoor play equipment, furniture.
• Provision of libraries at each facility.
• Activities at after-school clubs - homework programme and supervision, art classes, lifeskills programme, sewing clubs, drumming and music workshops, health and beauty workshops, jewellery making classes, paper making classes, dance and drama workshops, environmental and recycling projects.
• Créche support teachers - to work alongside the créche staff, and to give individual attention to any children with special needs.
• After-school club support teacher - to assist with the homework programme in the after-school clubs and to work with any children in the after-school clubs with learning difficulties.
• Parent Workshops - on a range of topics including Money Management, Positive Parenting, Sexual Health, Substance Abuse, Health and Hygiene, HIV/AIDS and TB.
• Monthly educational trips for all children to places such as Table Mountain, the Aquarium, Butterfly World, Helderberg Nature Reserve, Giraffe House as well as many other exciting venues.
• Mobile Toy Library for all créche children aged 3 - 6.
  

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