Finding purpose and pleasure amid the pain
There are people you notice once and soon forget. Then there are souls like Goaba Jone Zoe Kgasa, impossible to ignore because of the courage she wears every day.
Our team first came across Kgasa during festive events in Kanye.
While many were dancing freely, she was sat in her wheelchair, smiling, lifting herself with determination and joining in the fun in her own remarkable way. She wasn’t asking for attention or even sympathy. She was simply refusing to let her circumstances silence her joy.
A quick enquiry led us to her social media pages.
Under the tagline ‘Wheels with Hope’, post after post, we watched a woman who had every reason to surrender to life’s hardships, yet chose instead to create, inspire and build.
Behind the wheelchair was an entrepreneur promoting her skincare products, showcasing her baking, knitting warm winter wear, brewing ginger, and preparing traditional kgoduyalerotse.
Her resilience demanded our attention, and we knew her story deserved to be told.
Kgasa is in her 30s – she’d rather not share her exact age – a proud daughter of Kanye, a passionate entrepreneur, founder of Zoe’s Natural Body Shop, creator of The Knotty Knitter, baker, brewer and maker of traditional delicacies.
She is also disabled.
Behind every product she sells is a woman fighting one of the toughest battles of her life.
Kgasa lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, conditions that have dramatically changed the way she lives.
“It started with pain and swelling in my joints. At first, I thought it was something temporary, but the pain became more intense and my mobility gradually worsened. Simple tasks became difficult, and I knew something serious was happening,” recalls the ever-smiling survivor.
Her search for answers became an emotional and economic struggle, as she and her family moved from one clinic to another, spending money on private consultations and countless medical tests, desperately hoping someone could explain why her body was turning against her.
“I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA] in January 2017,” she reveals. “Everything felt like a blur.”
A chronic autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints, RA causes painful, swollen, and stiff joints. Over time it can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity and most commonly affects the hands, wrists and feet.
Although devastating, the diagnosis finally gave her the answers she had been searching for.
Referral to a government rheumatologist became a turning point, allowing Kgasa to receive specialised care without the crushing financial burden of private treatment.
“I also had to come to terms with the reality that I was living with a lifelong autoimmune disease. It was frightening, but having the right specialist and a treatment plan gave me hope.”
Then came another body blow.
On top of it all, Kgasa discovered she was living with Osteoarthritis.
The most common form of arthritis, Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down. A degenerative disease, it causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Today, Kgasa relies heavily on the use of a wheelchair as several of her joints have become fused.
Everyday activities that many people perform without a second thought now require planning, patience and often assistance.
“My condition has changed almost every part of my life,” she notes calmly.
It has not, however, affected her zest for life.
For many, such challenges would have marked the end of their ambitions. For Kgasa, they became the beginning of a different journey.
“I have learned to adapt. I continue to formulate skincare products, bake, and run my businesses by finding new ways to work around my limitations. The hardest part has been accepting that my body no longer functions the way it once did. There have been moments of frustration, grief and uncertainty. What keeps me going is my faith, my purpose, and the belief that my story can inspire someone else.”
She also hopes to educate the public about the reality of living with autoimmune diseases.
“A little understanding can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life. One of the biggest misconceptions is that if someone needs help, they are a burden. Needing assistance doesn’t make a person less capable or less valuable,” points out Kgasa, a budding comedian quick with a joke and not afraid to poke fun at herself.
Kgasa tells The Voice many people also misunderstand the exhaustion that comes with chronic illness.
“Autoimmune fatigue is not ordinary tiredness. Sometimes I need to rest because my body genuinely needs it, not because I am lazy,” she explains, speaking warmly of the people who have stood beside her throughout.
“I’m grateful for my family, friends, healthcare professionals and customers who continue to believe in my businesses. Their encouragement reminds me that I am never walking this journey alone.”
Asked what continues to drive her every morning, her answer comes without hesitation.
“My biggest motivation is knowing that my life still has purpose. Running my businesses and creating products that help people gives me joy. Every day I wake up is another chance to make a difference! I want to continue growing my businesses, creating opportunities for others, and becoming a voice for persons with disabilities, Rheumatoid Arthritis and chronic illnesses. I want to show that disability does not cancel purpose.”
To those who have recently received a diagnosis similar to hers, she offers words born from experience rather than theory.
“Allow yourself time to process your diagnosis, but don’t lose hope. Learn about your condition, follow your treatment plan, ask for help when you need it, and celebrate every small achievement. Your diagnosis may change your path, but it doesn’t have to end your dreams.”
As our conversation came to an end, one message remains louder than any medical diagnosis or physical limitation.
“Wheels with Hope is more than just my tagline,” Kgasa beams. “It’s how I choose to live. Even though life has changed my journey, it has never taken away my purpose.”
One gets the impression that nothing can!
