Luc van der Walt, Flowers for Africa Founder, Facilitator
Luc is a South African social mural artist with a degree in Fine Art from Nelson Mandela University. He has worked in the field of participatory public art for children affected by poverty and conflict for nearly ten years. His extensive travels through Africa and the Middle East, funded by mural painting allowed him a deep immersion into diverse communities. In 2014, Luc founded the non-profit organisation ‘Art to Uplift’ which supports public art projects for social change.
He has developed and refined the Flowers for Africa methodology of facilitating community public art projects through extensive experience working with organisations such as APTart, UNICEF, War Child and ACTED including in Jordan, Turkey, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and South Africa. His approach draws on the principles of art therapy, socially engaged art, behaviour change and early education. Luc is also a freelance visual artist specialising in illustration and murals, stop motion animation, sculpture and graphic design. He is also an experienced surf instructor with a passion for nurturing people’s relationship with the ocean.
Kimberly Cattaneo, Flowers for Africa Facilitator
Kim is a French-South African self-taught abstract artist with a wide-ranging interest in education, nutrition, applied permaculture psychology and holistic arts, and a passionate advocate for animal and child welfare. Kim works for Tears Animal Rescue as a Cattery Coordinator, facilitating the adoption process and overseeing the wellbeing of animals in the shelter. She has travelled widely through South Africa and Europe. An experienced facilitator with Flowers for Africa, Kim brings movement and mindfulness to workshops and is known for working intuitively with children to reach their highest potential.
Kate Ribet, Flowers for Africa Project Manager & Communications
Kate is a communications practitioner with over ten years operational communications and advocacy experience in public health and social justice across multiple countries, with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Regional Office for Africa. She has worked and travelled in Afghanistan, DRC, Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. Kate has a background as a holistic health practitioner, experience in health management and a Masters degree in Communication. As a newly adoptive mother, she is passionate about early learning & development and the intersection between creativity and individual and societal healing.