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DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS, Jul 05 (IPS) – They’ve high-paying jobs, a excessive way of life, and nearly every little thing they want, however for Zimbabweans overseas, all that glitters is just not gold.
Twenty-eight-year-old Reward Gonye, primarily based in Germany, is one such Zimbabwean, and he’s apparently not happy along with his life overseas.
Homesickness is one illness that has hit Zimbabweans like Gonye, however regardless of this, they’re afraid to wade again into the struggling within the southern African nation.
“On my behalf and the behalf of different Zimbabweans within the diaspora, sure, we miss house, however even then, there may be nothing we are able to do about it as a result of there may be struggling again house. We are able to’t return house to face poverty,” Gonye advised IPS.
“You simply end up with no selection besides to endure the challenges right here within the diaspora so as to survive.”
Based mostly on the most recent figures from the Zimbabwe Nationwide Statistics Company (Zimstats) within the 2022 nationwide housing and inhabitants, lower than a million Zimbabweans have left the nation since 2012, on the lookout for greener pastures overseas.
Information from Zimstats have indicated that 908,914 left the southern African nation within the final decade, with South Africa, Botswana and the UK being the popular locations for Zimbabweans.
South Africa has accounted for 773,246, Botswana 74,928, Britain 23,166 and the USA 8,565.
Gonye and a number of other different Zimbabweans which have fled from the financial hardships of their African nation have needed to endure some difficulties of their keep overseas.
“The life we dwell right here is pricey. We pay excessive taxes. The powerful life again house in Zimbabwe complicates our lives within the diaspora, for we’ve to help the individuals again house as a result of individuals there look ahead to our assist, and this ends in us right here within the diaspora not investing by way of our future and for ourselves at previous age,” Gonye stated, referring to a system also known as “black tax” the place wealthier and extra profitable individuals are anticipated to help their households.
Whereas many Zimbabweans again house have excessive regard for diaspora nations, many like Gonye see in any other case, because of the every day stress migrants endure to outlive.
“I need to let individuals again house know we’ve no social life right here. It’s not straightforward dwelling right here. The cash we earn is sufficient for lease and meals and different fundamentals, and it ends there. It’s laborious for us within the diaspora,” stated Gonye.
“If you happen to see somebody sending you some bit of cash again in Zimbabwe—some 30 {dollars} or seventy {dollars}, that particular person would have endured saving that quantity.”
Because of this, Zimbabweans overseas dwell beneath stress from their kith and kin again house and meet their wants as nicely.
Regardless of official authorities figures about folks that have relocated abroad, about 4 to five million Zimbabweans are stated to be overseas, largely compelled overseas by a fractured nationwide financial system since 2000 when authorities seized white-owned industrial farms.
Ellen Mazorodze, primarily based in Australia, as elections loom in Zimbabwe on August 23 this yr, migrants like herself wish to have an opportunity to vary issues of their nation. Nevertheless, solely these residents dwelling within the nation can vote, and he or she inspired them to vote.
“If you wish to select an individual to characterize you, go and vote. Your vote might be counted. It is going to allow you to to have an individual fulfilling your needs get in workplace,” Mazorodze advised IPS.
Privilege Kandira (30), dwelling in Norway, says: “Diaspora life is a combination of each good and dangerous.”
“On one aspect, I can testify that I’ve loved the chance of coming to a greater life right here within the diaspora, however on the opposite aspect, let me hasten to say that I’ve met plenty of challenges, amongst which is racial discrimination,” he advised IPS.
Kandira is just not alone in battling racial discrimination.
Within the UK, many Zimbabweans, like 29-year-old Tariro Muungani, knowledgeable social employee, have needed to face racial discrimination.
“I’ll give an instance of the place I dwell right here in England. It’s a spot the place there are few black individuals. While you stroll the streets, white individuals take a look at you curiously. While you board a bus, as an example, and sit subsequent to a white particular person, they could drift away from you as a result of they don’t need to keep up a correspondence with you, which makes dwelling in such areas painful,” she (Muungani) advised IPS.
Like Gonye in Germany, Muungani stated, “Zimbabweans again house take a look at us within the diaspora as individuals who have made it in life and assume we’ve no issues, they usually look ahead to us with belief that diaspora individuals may help them.”
Muungani stated most individuals again in her house nation don’t imagine individuals overseas can typically lack cash.
But different Zimbabweans abroad say they miss the social unity again of their nation as they combat to earn a greater dwelling overseas.
“What involves thoughts is the togetherness we had again house, the spirit of neighbourliness, which isn’t there right here. No person actually cares for the following particular person. Youngsters dwell simply anyhow with no strangers bothering to self-discipline them, in contrast to what occurs again house culturally,” Sophia Tekwane, a Zimbabwean girl primarily based in Sweden, advised IPS.
However Tekwane additionally stated with the struggling in Zimbabwe, many like herself don’t have any selection besides to endure being overseas.
“The struggling in Zimbabwe makes issues powerful for all of us within the diaspora as a result of it forces us to work even more durable to help the family members again house.”
“You find yourself having no selection. Typically you find yourself sacrificing – ravenous your self to help the individuals again house. You find yourself working abnormally lengthy hours,” added Tekwane.
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