Daring To Dream: The “Give Me A Chance” Children’s Foundation
September 21, 2009 by Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional ReviewsDelarey and Sandie Brugman of the Alluvia Winery and Guesthouse in Stellenbosch have built a name for themselves as award-winning wine producers. Now the couple, owners of this luxurious Cape wine country escape are making other people’s dreams come true through their community development program the ‘Give Me A Chance’ Children’s Foundation.
The children’s foundation backs bright but disadvantaged youngsters in the local community, turning their lives around so that they, in turn, can inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day but teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” Chinese proverb Delarey and Sandie Brugman excel at what they do. Their estate, the Alluvia Specialist Vineyard and Guesthouse (part of the Zorgvliet Private Residence Club) is set in the sort of panoramic, wide open scenery that’s splashed across double page spreads in luxury travel magazines.
There’s something special in the air here. Mountains, vines, dotted as far as the eye can see under a blue South African sky. Maybe it’s the wine, could be the views, but there’s a certain something in the air that seems to spell “relaxation” with a capital “R”. Alluvia is a place wine-lovers dream of: the food lives up to the wines; the wines are among the best the Cape has to offer; and there’s always a warm welcome on the menu.
Welcome to South Africa’s vineyard lifestyle, par excellence.
Since 2004, giving back to the community has become as important to the Brugmans as giving their guests memorable holiday experiences. Sandie and Delarey founded the ‘Give Me a Chance’ Children’s Foundation www.givemeachance.co.za to adopt promising students from Kylemore’s struggling community with the purpose of providing them with the educational and psychological tools to succeed in life.
“Although Kylemore is home to some of the poorest in our country, it is also home to a talented group of learners who dare to dream and are willing to work hard at achieving their goals,” explains Delarey, who adds that research has shown that the development of a child from underprivileged status into a commercially active individual results in the betterment of at least 12 other people from his or her community.
The Give Me a Chance scholarships provide financial and moral support with the overall aim of creating a new generation of positive, socially active, educated South African children, who can go on to share their knowledge and mentor new generations.
If the property developer’s mantra is “location, location, location”, the Give Me a Chance Foundation’s mission is “education, education, education”. No child, however bright, has a fair chance in life without a decent education, and all too often a harsh environment goes hand in hand with lack of proper schooling.
Foundation Director, Katherine Berchulski, believes it is important for the students to give back as well, so it was intentional that the Foundation is the only one in the region that requires those it helps to give back to their community and the result is an energy and commitment that feels inspirational. Fundraising is through golf days and special events at the Zorgvliet Group’s resorts, such as celebrity golf tournaments at the Zorgvliet-owned Riviera on Vaal Hotel and Country Club or auctions to win weekend getaways at one of the Zorgvliet Group’s resorts.
Berchulski says the alliance with the Zorgvliet Private Residence Club will no doubt significantly boost the Foundation’s efforts: “Through the support and backing of ZPRC, Give Me a Chance will be able to expand beyond the borders of the Kylemore region, and move beyond the functions of a scholarship programme towards a skills development programme.”
The Foundation identifies the children as early as grade 6 and commits itself to assisting the children through their matric year. Adds Berchulski: “We also devote ourselves to encouraging each child to be proactive in their own future and work to equip each child with the social and leadership skills necessary to attain success. The Foundation seeks to promote an holistic solution to South Africa’s current plights of poverty and inequality through providing exceptional children with the ability to become financially sustainable and in turn to become influential citizens.”
Alluvia holds fundraising events at the winery and visitors can buy two “Give Me a Chance” label wines – a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc, the proceeds of which go directly to the Foundation, helping cover important necessities: school and hostel fees, uniforms, books and sports equipment. Thanks to positive mentoring – a network of strong role models who become friends and mentors – the students are given the opportunity to strive towards their academic or athletic training and develop their own leadership skills alongside their personal and professional dreams. While education is key, the freedom to design and develop their own professional and personal futures with the help of mentors is priceless.
Student Marco Hendricks, a first year at the University of Stellenbosch, was the first to be selected into the program and through his touching story has become the face of success for the organization. Born to a family of meagre income and orphaned at the age of 15, Hendricks is the poster child of perseverance and integrity. Through the support of ‘Give Me a Chance, Hendricks has achieved his ambition of entering his university career to study Business Accounting. His ambition is driven by his desire to be proactive in his own future: “I want to be an example to those in my community that through hard work and dedication one can change their own circumstances.”
Students have to attend monthly workshops to build leadership skills and learn how to tackle the difficult issues prevalent in South African society, including rape and gender equality. There is a strong focus on volunteering, such as the partnership formed between the foundation and Pebbles Project. Simply put, the message is that it doesn’t take money to do good, it just takes the will and the time, and the concept of philanthropic “regeneration” (in other words, giving to these students so they in turn can give to future students within their own community) is central to the Foundation’s efforts.
Talented musician and sportsman Jerome Jacobs is a keen trumpet player and dreams of becoming a music teacher, using music as a way to influence others and show that anything in life is possible through discipline and practice. Jacobs, a Grade 11 student at Kylemore, is currently studying his second year of music theory at the University of Stellenbosch. Eleventh grader Gwendoline Rodrigues has stayed at the top of her class year after year and plans to go on to study Business Law. Like the other students, she wants to support her own community and believes that if you can positively affect one person’s life, you can help change the world one person at a time.
Student Phozia Haffit, Grade 11, wants to be a doctor. She’s the “Give Me A Chance” Committee’s Sponsor Coordinator and when she’s not studying English, Afrikaans, Life Orientation, Accounting, Physics and Life Science, she’s out on the volleyball court, or singing her heart out in choir practice. She’s looking forward to graduating and is keen to actively help those in need in the Kylemore community: “I want to help those less fortunate,” she explains, inspired by the help she’s received from her own mentors.
Five years on, Sandie and Delarey continue to drive the Foundation forward. As it expands, it’s clear their hearts and souls are invested in Give Me a Chance and despite the hard work, their commitment is unwavering.
This June, Foundation Director Katherine Berchulski announced exciting news: Hollywood star Beau Bridges, who was in South Africa filming “Free Willy: South Africa”, the sequel to the Free Willie series, has just accepted the role of global ambassador to promote the Foundation further afield.
“Mr. Bridges has agreed to promote Give Me a Chance initiatives abroad and assist in building our international support network. He has offered to link us to potential funding sponsors and his personal website will include a link to our own site,” Berchulski adds.
The actor’s involvement is an unprecedented opportunity for Give Me a Chance to expand and bring in much more funding. By building strong futures for more talented students who just need a break in life, the Foundation will enable its alumni to “pay it forward” to future generations. They’ll continue to plant hope where there was hopelessness and radically transform lives, one student at a time…
We are always looking for other corporations or individuals to involve themselves with the trust and adopting a child for financially for a year the cost is approx R9K. For more information regarding the ‘Give Me a Chance’ Children’s Foundation, or to make a donation, please contact Foundation Director, Katherine Berchulski at 021.885.8104 or e-mail at hope@givemeachance.co.za Or visit our websites www.givemeachance.co.uk www.alluvia.co.za
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