Living Zimbabwe

Tag: Returnee

  • Can Zimbabwean Diasporans Take A Page Out of Barkue Tubman’s Book?

    Can Zimbabwean Diasporans Take A Page Out of Barkue Tubman’s Book?

    Barkue Tubman was recently featured on CNN African Voices where they highlighted her story of how she left Liberia because of turmoil and after an extended period of time away, returned home to help with it’s redevelopment. The thing that was striking about her story is that it is akin to the lives of many Zimbabweans in the diaspora. Some of these diasporans have made a choice to return home and others are still out there contemplating a move back home.

    Whatever the case may be, in the time spent away from home, people further their education or gain new skills. These acquisitions enable these people to build lives for themselves with some going on to be very successful. More often than not, the things that these people know are very applicable in a Zimbabwean context. Whenever they visit home or talk to people about business opportunities, it can sometimes become apparent that there are gaps in the market that they are able to fill. Some of these gaps may be for services that would be of benefit to a community, city or the nation as well the person who has chosen to fill that gap.

    With that idea in place and down on paper, comes the task of trying to get it off the ground. But, with Zimbabwe being Zimbabwe and Africa being Africa, getting the idea off the ground can prove to be a bit a challenge, a challenge much greater than what would have been faced in the country that this person had been calling home.

    Some may face a raft of road blocks which could include but are not limited to, getting the necessary registration and/or licenses, capital, officials who have not been paid accordingly hampering progress and the list goes on.

    Barkue’s story follows a similar path where she moved to the United States, got an education and had a very successful career in the entertainment industry. On a visit to Liberia, she saw a gap in the entertainment industry that she could fill. She put together a business plan and worked on making it a reality but things didn’t quite turn out the way that she had hoped (you can watch the footage of how and why below). However, she did manage to find opportunities where she could use her skills and it paid off tremendously for her.

    There are a number of Zimbabweans who do want to return home and work for themselves but have a fear that things will not work out as planned. Zimbabwe may have a mix and match of similar and different challenges as far as starting a business goes but, could Barkue’s story serve as one of inspiration? Does it go to show that even if the odds are stacked against you in something you have set your mind on, that we should remain open to and perceptive to other (unrealised) opportunities?

    Should diasporans dispel fears of returning home to either start businesses or become a part of established businesses and contribute to rebuilding the nation?

  • The Plight Of A Diaspora Returnee Wife

    The Plight Of A Diaspora Returnee Wife

    Yes, there are a number of Diasporans who are a bit sceptical about returning home for one resason or another > Why Diasporans Are Not Returning Home. On the other hand, there are a those who have taken the step to return home permanently with those in this group having realised varying levels of success with their decision. It has either been one of the best decisions ever made or one filled with regret.

    For singletons, the task of purchasing a one way ticket to Zimbabwe is not as daunting as they probably don’t have that much ‘baggage’. However, some returnees are families and for them, having a solid plan in place of how they are going to sustain themselves is of utmost importance. This includes things such as a steady stream of income, appropriate accommodation and reliable transportation just to name a few things.

    Can you imagine leaving the comforts of London, Sydney, Dallas, Singapore or wherever. Places where you have an income, live in your own accommodation have a car or two and all the mod cons to taking up two rooms at your parents place? That’s what some families who move back home have to do to accommodate themselves in the interim. Living like this might be fine for a few days or weeks but it will more than likely reach a point when it will start to feel a little cramped and you are all in each others space!

    Living in this state of being is not ideal especially so for women who are independent and used to having a space that is ‘theirs’. As they continue to live with their parents, the women don’t have a place to call home. Yes, you could say they are home but they aren’t in that comfortable homely place that has their own feminine touch that is home.

    Another plight that diaspora returnee wives have to deal with is their husbands. Life in the diaspora is not easy and living in luxury comes at a cost. This then dictates that their men take a more active role around the house. This sees their husbands cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, helping out with the kids and so on.

    In Zimbabwe, domestic workers are an affordable luxury which frees up husbands to take care of their business and also to be ‘Zimbabwean men’. Them being immersed back into the Zimbabwean lifestyle sees some of them become different people.

    The wives of these husbands who have become someone else now see themselves having to follow the cultural and social expectations of a Zimbabwean wife. This sees them having to let go of certain liberties that they had grown accustomed to in the diaspora. For some it also means having to accept a third or more parties into their marriages as they are forced to accept the small house culture of Zimbabwe.

    The above is only an example of what happens to some women. It isn’t the be all and end all for diaspora returnee wives. Some go through worse and for others, the transition to living in Zimbabwe all over again is relatively smooth. Everyone has their own story to tell.

    Do you have anything to say on the pros and/or cons faced by Diasporans on the return home?