Unlocking a resilient future

Zoëlife is an organisation focused on bringing wholeness to children, youth and families. We know that by positively impacting their health and personal development, they in turn will be empowered to make a real change in their world. To achieve this, we develop tools that fill the gaps in the systems around them, which helps to restore and strengthen their support networks. We also share this knowledge with others to ensure this change can spread across society too.

Our focus areas

We are engaged in three broad areas of work, starting with the individual, moving to their place in the world, and then focusing on their future potential.

Individual Wellness
Interventions around health and
wellness for children and their
families, as well as capacitating the
professionals working in this space.

Personal Development
Helping children and youth to better
understand themselves and their place
in the world to create functional, thriving
communities.

Future Readiness
Equipping youth with the skills they need
to find their place in the world and best
realise their potential, in a
ever changing society.

Zoëlife at work

Some examples of our recent projects.

All
Blue Roof
CGC
KidzAlive
KidzAlive App
Zoelife

About the programme

KidzAlive is a programme focused on addressing childhood chronic diseases in communities by ensuring children with conditions such as HIV, TB and malnutrition are correctly identified, diagnosed and supported. It particularly targets orphans and vulnerable children and aims to build capacity within entities like the Department of Health, Department of Social Development, NGOs and Schools.

The various components of KidzAlive all work to held achieve the main aims of:

  • Identifying children with undiagnosed illnesses
  • Helping children to better understand their conditions
  • Supporting caregivers in this space
  • Capacitating health facilities and communities to better support children and their families
Visit KidzAlive

About Zoëlife

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.

What we do

Our mandate now covers wellness in all its forms, wherever the individual interacts with a broader system. With this in mind, we cover the three key areas of individual wellness, personal development and future readiness. 

We develop social tools:

  • Skills training
  • Workshops and coaching
  • Digital tools

We create systemic change:

  • Research and publication
  • Protocol development
  • Policy development

What They Say?

My daughter is 17 years. When she came to BR she was introduced to the book of Sibusiso (KidzAlive). She grew up knowing about sleeping germs and dying germs. When the full (HIV) disclosure was done at the age of 10 she started teaching other children in the area about good germs and bad germs. She encountered one incident at school; her classmate was sick and she helped by carrying her classmate school bag home. She shared to me that she feels so bad that her classmate might not know what sickness she has…she feels sorry for other children and parents that do not know about BR because at BR you feel free and peaceful

Caregiver of teenager at BRLS
Blue Roof: Clinical and Life Space

The Youth Leadership programme allowed me to get my head space right and gave me the support and motivation to keep moving forward, especially the focus given to each of us individually to develop the skills we have…

Youth Leader trained as an HIV counsellor
Adolescent/Youth Development Programme

Training really helped me see things that are going on with people: HIV, Stigma and importance of disclosure. Its taught me not to judge, it opened my eyes and has made me more careful to take better care of myself and my health.

Youth Participant
Psychosocial Adolescents: YouTHRIVE

The small group activities allowed the counsellor to show an interest in the child on an individual level and to get them acquainted even before any counselling takes place — it makes them (the children) feel valuable

Wellness Facilitator
Psychosocial – Children: KidzAlive

Group Cohesion, or How to Get Along with Others, is valuable to me because as human beings we cannot live in isolation, and significant others play a huge role in our world view, and life experiences make us who we are

Youth Leader
Social Cohesion

Get in Touch

If you’d like to know more about what we do and how you can help make it happen, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.