Johan van der Merwe

Bio

I live in George [halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth] on the beautiful southern coast of Africa, i.e. in South Africa. Here I was a minister [pastor] for about 28 years until I retired in 2006 so as to be able to concentrate on helping change society for the better. I am currently involved with various non-profits caring for a.o. patients suffering from aids and other terminal illnesses, children from severely broken homes, homeless people and others in the grip of extreme poverty. It is also of the highest importance for me to help make the have's more aware of and more sensitive to the plight of the have-nots and to help indicate imaginative, responsible ways in which those struggling to survive may be assisted in escaping from hopelessness to a better life. What drives me most of all, therefore, is not a burning desire to become wealthy - I am grateful for what I have and happy with my circumstances. I am, to tell the truth, put off by all the hype of becoming a billionaire and wallowing in streams of money and material goodies. To be sure, I really don't know if I will be able to remain a balanced person if all those dreams were to become a reality for me. What really motivates me is, rather, to become more and more effective as an agent of change, a social entrepreneur. I do need, however,to create some extra income for myself via internet marketing, and have much to learn in this regard. I trust that my learning curve will not be too long and that I will learn much along the way that will also benefit the nonprofits I serve by making known to a wider audience [via one or more blogs] their sterling work, their challenges, etc, and to help get seriously needed funding for them. It will also mean a lot to me if I can learn the ropes of affiliate marketing to such a degree that I can help others follow my trail in a way that will be financially rewarding, but at the same time ethical and in accordance with the values I try to uphold as a Christian.