Haarhoff Vanessa

Vanessa Haarhoff was born on April 21, 1981, in Harare, Zimbabwe. She attended primary and high school in Harare, where she excelled in both sports and the arts.
On March 1, 2000, Vanessa suffered a severe car accident that caused a C4 spinal injury, leaving her tetraplegic. During rehabilitation in a South African spinal unit, she began painting by holding a brush in her mouth. Initially self-taught, she soon studied under an art teacher, finding immense joy in her work.
Alongside developing her art, Vanessa returned to Rhodes University to study journalism and politics. She worked as a journalist in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Zambia, while continuing to paint the unique landscapes and nature of the region. After relocating to the UK, she pursued an MSc in International Development at the University of Bristol.
Vanessa is also deeply committed to advocacy and fundraising for spinally injured people. She has participated in events for the charity Back Up, which helps individuals with spinal injuries engage in sports. Twice, she led a fifteen-strong team to help her reach the summit of Mount Snowdon, experiences that highlighted the importance of raising awareness and support for spinal injury communities, particularly in impoverished countries like Zimbabwe.
She has also been involved as secretary for a non-profit called Uhambo which locally builds bespoke wheelchairs for severely disabled children that operating in the rural areas of Southern Africa.