MANCOSA graduate achieves success despite physical challenges

“If you do not believe in yourself, how will you be able to convince others to believe in you?”

This is the maxim by which 56-year-old Western Cape resident Johan Koen lives to ensure that despite his physical disability, he is successful in his career.

Koen suffers from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare, autoimmune disorder in which a person’s immune system damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

He did not let the disease, which affected his walking and led to a loss of feeling on his palms, deter him from working his way up the career ladder.

Koen, a father of three, is the Supply Chain and Asset Manager at the Department of Agriculture.

He holds a National Diploma in Purchasing Management, a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Logistics, Bachelor of Commerce Honors in Supply Chain Management and has just completed the Masters degree in Commerce at MANCOSA.

Koen said he benefited greatly from MANCOSA’s ease of registration and communication with students. He cites the professionalism of the administrative team and the tutors for making his studies at MANCOSA a pleasant one, whilst they were all mindful of his disabilities.

“MANCOSA is an institution that offers world-class qualifications. Help is always only an email or call away.”

He proudly boasts that he has already persuaded 15 colleagues at work to study through MANCOSA.

Koen said being a disabled man in the working world had its challenges. It had held him back from being promoted. But he found a way to work around this to ensure he was empowered.

“Without being empowered, one can start disbelieving in their own ability and never reach full potential.

“Every person has a leader locked inside him or her and must be given a fair opportunity for that leader to be unlocked,” he says.

In his role as a leader, he finds inspiration from seeing growth in his colleagues. He strives to empower them to be a better version of themselves.

When Koen is not busy managing the department, he enjoys playing snooker or doing carpentry.

With scientist Steven Hawking being Koen’s role model, he holds the view that no matter what set-backs you face, life is what you make of it.

Koen encourages students and graduates not to let their academic progress be hampered. “Life is all about decisions and only you can decide how your story will end.”

Koen plans to tackle his PhD in 2022.

ENDS