Zoëlife was founded in 2004 as a response to the HIV crisis in South Africa. We saw communities unable to access treatment and devastated by its impact, and knew that if we found ways to bridge the gaps in the existing systems we could positively make a difference in this space. So we engaged in advocacy and the development of systemic interventions to bring healing to the whole person. We took a multi-dynamic approach to wellness, ensuring effective diagnosis, access to treatment and adherence to medication regimens, as well as tackling the stigma around the virus.
Though our focus has broadened significantly since our founding, this approach to holistic wellness still characterises everything we do. Our name comes from the Greek word “Zoë”, which means abundance. This is something we want to characterise the lives of everyone in our country. When a society’s systems don’t support its citizens, their lives are constrained and people can’t fulfil their potential. On the other hand, when people are supported and nurtured, they are able to reap the benefits of an engaged and full life – which is something we want to make possible for all people.