Soroptimist: Mimi vd Merwe, Artist

Mimi van der Merwe grew up in Malmesbury near Cape Town and studied at the University of Stellenbosch and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where she obtained the prix de l'atelier for etching in 1961.In that year she held a bursary from the French government.
Mimi teaches etching and painting in her studio in Pretoria. She has exhibited widely in South Africa and her work is in local and international collections.
Mimi has been a Soroptimist since 1974, and a past president of Tygerberg and Pretoria Clubs. She has been involved in teaching drawing skills to the Winterveldt women of the Mapula Project.
Mimi has been involved in paper making from various products (the background of this page is on "recycled elephant dung" paper), bougainvillea flowers,etc.
Left:Bougaivillea paper. Centre:Cards on "recycled elephant dung paper" for fund raising for the Pretoria Zoo. Right: Decle and mould for papermaking.

Mimi van der Merwe illustrated We won't be beaten - A Guide to the Prevention of Family Violence Act. This guide has been prepared by the National Institute for Public Interest Law and Research (NIPILAR)/Community Law Centre as part of its commitment to the struggle for women and child rights in South Africa. Nipilar was established in South Africa in 1986 to provide legal assistance to individuals and communities adversely affected by apartheid laws, policies and practices. The Community Law Centre established a project to investigate violations of women and child rights in South Africa.

The women and child rights project is sponsored in South Africa by USAID - Human Rights and Democracy Division, Radda Barnen (Swedish Save the Children) and the Ford Foundation. Radda Barnen supports projects, mainly through local NGOs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In South Africa, Radda Barnen's assistance is concentrated in three sectors: child rights, mental health for children and educare. Radda Barnen is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance.

The guide has been developed to facilitate the implementation and use of the Prevention of Family Violence Act (adopted in 1993) The guide is intended to serve as a resource to all who are assisting abused and battered women and children. From people working at women's organisations to priests, paralegals and police, all should be able to understand and to explain the law with the aid of this guide. NIPILAR's email address is NIPILAR@wn.apc.org

This web site is created and maintained by Hendré Falkson