Somerset West resident and award-winning winemaker Carmen Stevens, the first woman of colour to qualify as a winemaker in South Africa in 1995, has been nominated across multiple categories of the Good Hope FM Warrior Women Awards.

Stevens, the name and driving force behind Carmen Stevens Wines and the Carmen Stevens Foundation, has been nominated in the Hunger Fighter and Change Maker categories of the competition, an annual celebration hosted by the radio station in partnership with the WomenIN Festival to honour female leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and unsung heroes.

“What means the most to me is that they create greater awareness of the work we do and the challenges faced by children who go to school hungry,” she said. “My hope is that this recognition will inspire more people to get involved and contribute, enabling us to provide meals to even more learners in need. For us, this has never been about recognition; it has always been about making sure that no child is expected to learn on an empty stomach.”

One of the foundation’s school-holiday hamper-packing volunteers, Donna Castro, nominated Stevens, describing her as a woman who has turned her own success into daily sustenance for thousands.

Hunger fighter

Stevens’ foundation – funded directly from her wine sales – provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch to over 25 000 learners daily across more than 125 schools in the Western Cape, from Cape Town and Paarl to Wellington, Villiersdorp and Ceres. She understands that for many children the school meal is their only one, and when schools close, hunger returns.

During holidays, her team of volunteers packs hampers of nearly 17 kg each, containing 32 staple items, enough to sustain a family of four to five for at least two weeks. To date, the NPO has provided over 11,6 million plates of food to more than 41 000 learners.

“‘Everyone knows hungry children can’t learn,’ Stevens once said. She did not just say it – she built a solution,” said Castro. “She is all that and more.”

Stevens was genuinely surprised and deeply touched by the nomination. “It was such a humbling moment to realise that someone who volunteers her time to support our work, had taken the initiative to recognise it in this way. I am grateful to Donna, not only for the nomination, but also for being part of a community of people who give their time and energy to help children in need. This recognition belongs to everyone who stands alongside us.”

Change maker

Growing up on the Cape Flats, Stevens was barred from enrolling at Elsenburg Agricultural College in 1991 because of the colour of her skin, but persevered and qualified in 1995 as South Africa’s first black winemaker.

She went on to become an internationally awarded winemaker, founded the first 100% black-owned winery in Stellenbosch, and in 2022 received the prestigious 1659 Visionary Leadership Award. She sits on the Wine and Spirits Board and the SA Transformation Unit, and proves to young girls in underprivileged communities that their dreams are valid.

Her inspiration, she said, comes from her own childhood: “My mother was a factory worker, and I know from personal experience what it feels like not to have enough to eat. I understand how difficult it is to focus on anything else when your most basic needs are not met.”

In 2011, she started small, providing a cup of soup three times a week to a maximum of 500 children at three schools. “At the time, I could not have imagined how far the programme would grow. For me, this journey has been about turning a personal understanding of hunger into something meaningful that can change lives.”

Daily impact

One of the most meaningful things the foundation has witnessed, she said, is children arriving at school as early 06:00 and staying until late afternoon because they know they will receive meals and have a safe place to spend their day.

“We are not simply providing meals; we are helping create the conditions in which children can learn, participate and feel that they belong.”

Stevens is most proud of seeing children develop a more positive relationship with school.

By addressing hunger, the foundation has seen improved school engagement, better academic performance and a reduction in dropout rates. “I want them to grow up believing that their circumstances do not have to determine their future.”

Holiday hampers

Stevens hopes to reach more children while ensuring those already on the programme continue to receive support. With a target of 2 000 to 2 500 hampers for the December holidays, each costing around R550 and containing 32 essential food items, she said: “Our long-term vision is simple: to ensure that fewer children have to learn while hungry and that more young people have the opportunity to complete their education and break the cycle of poverty.”

Her message to women working to make a difference in their communities: “Do not underestimate what you can achieve when you work together with others. You do not have to solve every problem on your own, nor do you need a great deal of money to make a meaningful difference.”

The public can support the foundation by sponsoring a R550 hamper through the online shop at www.cswines.co.za, donating through GivenGain by searching for Carmen Stevens NPO, or donating directly to the foundation.

“Hunger does not take a holiday when schools close,” said Stevens. “I appeal to the people of the Helderberg and beyond: please do not assume that someone else will make the contribution. If you are able to help, please do. Because no child should have to face the future on an empty stomach.”

Get voting

False Bay Primary School has also urged its community to vote for the Carmen Stevens Foundation in the Warrior Woman Awards 2026 Hunger Fighter category, saying the foundation has stood by the school term after term, including over the Christmas holidays, providing hampers and weekly and monthly food donations.

“It is about dignity, hope, care and reminding our children that there are people who believe in them and want to see them thrive,” the school said. “You are not just filling tummies; you are nourishing hope, one child at a time.”

The school called on families, friends and the broader community to rally behind the nomination, saying: “They have poured so much love into our school, and now we have the opportunity to show them just how much that love means to us.”

• Voting is by SMS: send WWA26, Carmen Stevens, your name, surname and ID number to 37766. Voting closes on Monday 26 October and SMSs cost R1,50 each.