The weekend after we arrived back in Zimbabwe, we had tea with a friend, and he asked us a question we’ve gotten numerous times recently. “What would possess you to live in Zimbabwe when you have other options?” Alright, he may have asked more politely than that. But it is a good question. And one that people are likely to keep asking as the situation in Zimbabwe is… not improving.
This can be quickly illustrated by the problems posed by our search for a new place to live. As people who work from home, we need consistent wifi and decent electricity. Most of Harare currently has load shedding for 18 hours of the day. Just recently, municipal water has also become inconsistent, either running dirty or not at all. So wherever we find, we’ll have to make a plan for that. And finally, the fact that getting petrol usually requires queueing for a couple hours means that it would be very nice to be close to church, friends, exercise etc. More about a search for a new home in a later blog post. We’re currently staying with Johno’s parents, and doing just fine.
So why? We’re not really tied to any country yet, by family or property or even jobs.
Part of it, of course, is that neither of us really wants to leave Southern Africa. These cultures, people, even problems are ours. For me personally, Zimbabwe felt instantly familiar when I moved here, resembling many of the places I grew up. I love the culture of respect, the dust, the way everyone gardens in their back yard, the mix of traditional and modern, and the strength of community found in spite (or perhaps because) of the hardships everyone faces.
Another reason is that here it feels like we can make a tangible difference in the problems we see. Both Johno and I crave work that has meaning; here in Zim even everyday life has meaning. Whenever we buy from a small vendor, or give someone a lift, it feels like we’re truly helping someone. Johno gets to put his skills to work on cool projects like reforestation. Even just living here and spending our foreign-earned income boosts the economy. Unlike Cape Town where I’m always overwhelmed by the seemingly insurmountable societal problems I see, here there is hope. I don’t know quite why, but Zimbabweans are hopeful. They’re kind to each other. The big PROBLEMS here are more administrative than societal if I can put it that way.
And jumping from that to one of my personal reasons for loving Zimbabwe: here I feel safe. I can be kind to strangers because I don’t automatically distrust them. I can walk places by myself! I can sleep with my windows open, and just generally live without being afraid. After living in Cape Town, being unafraid feels incredibly freeing.
p.s. For a general comparison of people’s perceptions of crime and safety in Harare and Cape Town, see here.
What else? Well on a practical level, Zimbabwe is a fairly cheap place for us to live. Because we both earn foreign currency, Zimbabwe’s financial troubles actually put us in a fairly strong economic position. This gives us the freedom to work flexibly, and spend time doing other things we consider important. It also looks like it will be fairly easy for me to get a spousal visa here, making the paperwork and logistics significantly easier than anywhere else we’ve considered.
Last, but certainly not least, there are so many people here that we love! Johno’s parents, a wonderful church, our Thursday dinner crowd and our life group, the wacky group of women I exercise with, various other relatives and friends… Despite the relatively short time I’ve been here, people have welcomed me with open hearts, and have found their way into my heart, too.
This concludes my attempts to answer that frequently asked question, at least for now. But if you read our blogs going forward, I’m sure you’ll see illustrated many more reasons why Zim is the right place for us to be. 🙂
Johno and Ellie's Adventures 