Introducing our new board members

Butterflies have evolved in significant ways that help them avoid being eaten by predators. Butterflies protect themselves through camouflage - by folding up their wings, they blend in with their surroundings. This defence mechanism symbolises the role of the Board of Directors at BAP. Members of the Board protect the organisation by steering the organisation towards a sustainable future and protecting the organisation from ethical, legal and financial issues. We'd like to introduce to you the wings that will govern and protect the Butterfly Art Project in 2019: [Continue Reading]

Top Row: Karen Morris, Nerina De Villiers and Nicolette Corker Bottom Row: Waleed Dawood, Naziema Jappie and Bärbel Brandes

“The BAP Board's primary responsibility is to govern and oversee the operations of the organisation. It is legally, financially and morally responsible for the conduct of the organisation as well as ensuring that the organisation achieves the goals for which it was founded.” says Board member, Waleed Dawood.

Waleed Dawood is the current Chairman of Butterfly Art Project. He works for a large financial services company, where he collaborates on the development of financial advice tools used when servicing customers. He studied English and Psychology as part of his undergraduate degree before pursuing a law degree and being admitted as an attorney. In his spare time Waleed enjoys the outdoors by exploring different hiking trails in Cape Town.

Practitioner in protective behaviour, Treasurer of the Bishop Lavis Cadets, life coach and executive director and founder of her own NGO No Limits, Nicolette Corker believes that learning is not only academic, and as in life, it’s just not about letters and numbers. "The finer nuances are learnt through life experiences or through transference of that knowledge from adult to child." says Nicolette. She has majors in Psychology & Sociology and has been working in the corporate and banking industry for 20 years. She also happens to be an active Community Art Facilitator and has participated in many of BAPs trainings. Happy to have you on board, Nicky.

When Karen Morris isn't enjoying a cup of Earl Grey tea, you can find her involved with community-based projects relating to housing, learner aftercare activities and feeding schemes in her own community in Bonteheuwel. This mother of two sons, and wife of 27 years is currently the Finance Manager at the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office. We look to having a cup of tea with you, welcome to the team.

Naziema Jappie is a Director in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at the University of Cape Town. She is also the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Maldives. She has a distinguished and varied background, great strengths and impressive track record in fields of educational management; leadership; conflict resolution and human resource management. She holds a master’s degree, and a higher education diploma. Ms Jappie serves as Non-Executive Director on various Boards and her previous jobs included teaching; is a National Education Officer for the Clothing & Textile Workers Union and is in executive management positions at Durban University of Technology and the University of the Witwatersrand.

Nerina De Villiers a high school art teacher from Gauteng who took early retirement and moved to Cape Town where she continued to teach. She started focusing on developing her own art, mainly painting and exhibiting. She has also been involved in voluntary projects, setting up 2 sewing groups. She also trained with Repurposing Business, where she has been a facilitator in several parts of the Cape Town, Indonesia and locally. "I was very blessed to find Angela’s Butterfly Art Project and got involved at an early stage, when it operated from 2 prefabs in CPS! I was thrilled that art was being offered to the community in Capricorn/Vrygrond, with a transformative purpose." says Nerina. She has taught children, facilitated in CAF training and is a long-standing Board member.

Dr. Bärbel Brandes, once a resident of Germany fell in love with South Africa, its mountains, ocean, flora and fauna. With a degree in veterinary medicine, Bärbel specialized in small animal diseases and animal ophthalmology at Georg August University in Göttingen. She went on to set up a small animal practise in Northeim that she managed for over thirty years. She was also accredited by the local government for further education in teaching veterinary assistants. In 2012 Bärbel started her own NGO, Smiling Heart e.V., with the purpose to support the Butterfly Art Project. She was amazed by the affects that pedagogical teachings had on children and has been involved with BAP ever since. Now residing in Pringle Bay, in her spare time she enjoys reading, spending time in nature and activities with children.