Zimbabweans struggle to rebuild shattered lives abroad

For many young Zimbabweans, the idea of migrating to foreign lands has long represented hope - a chance to escape crippling unemployment and poverty in pursuit of prosperity. But for a growing number, the lived reality abroad is far from the glamorous success story often shared on social media or whispered in neighbourhoods back home.

Instead, life in the diaspora has become a daily battle against mental exhaustion, isolation, emotional distress - and in some cases, abuse.

With Zimbabwe's unemployment rate hovering around 90%, many graduates are left with few viable opportunities, leading to an exodus of skilled and educated youth to destinations like South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Between three and five million Zimbabweans are believed to be living abroad - forming one of the largest African diaspora communities.

But a growing chorus of voices from abroad is revealing what many have kept hidden: the psychological and emotional toll of surviving in foreign lands.

"We are educated, but scrubbing toilets abroad"

Nokuthaba Moyo, a photographer who worked on international cruise ships, captured the emotional burden succinctly.

"Out there, you have to work, so you are always exhausted," she said. "Most of us have degrees, but we end up scrubbing toilets or mopping floors. I wish we had better opportunities back home to build our country."

Moyo described 12-hour workdays with no weekends or holidays. The toll, she says, goes beyond physical fatigue.

"Honestly, home is best. I wish I could just work and live close to my family. Being out there is emotionally and mentally taxing."

"The money is not worth the stress"

Former teacher Mellisa Msipha, who spent time in Poland, said juggling work and education left her completely drained.

"Living in the diaspora has been one of the toughest experiences of my life," she said. "I'd go straight from class to work, often physically and emotionally drained, but there was no other option. Bills had to be paid."

She said many Zimbabweans abroad suffer in silence, unable to return home due to fear of being labelled failures.

"Some people are stuck. They want to return home, but they're afraid of what people will say. Yet they're depressed, isolated, and exhausted."

Msipha said that if given a choice, she would opt for a modest income in Zimbabwe over a stressful life abroad, valuing "peace and community" more than money.

Loneliness in foreign lands

In Canada, driver Johnmore Makova spoke of profound isolation.

"Living in the diaspora may look like fun, but it's lonely. You can spend an entire day without saying a single word," he said. "We take human connection for granted until we lose it."

Samantha Nyakudya, a nail technician in Saudi Arabia, broke down while recounting her experiences.

"I came here in March and I'm already suffocated. I was almost raped by a client. I'm mistreated daily," she said. "What people don't know is that I cry myself to sleep every night."

The cost of chasing a dream

Despite these painful experiences, many young Zimbabweans continue to leave the country in pursuit of financial stability and a better future. Yet for some, the cost of chasing that dream may be their mental health and emotional well-being.

While remittances from the diaspora remain a critical source of income for families back home - contributing over US$1.8 billion annually to the economy - the human cost is rarely spoken of.

Mental health experts are calling for greater awareness of the psychological challenges faced by Zimbabweans abroad, while also urging government and private sector players to create more sustainable employment opportunities at home.

Until then, the "diaspora dream" will remain both a lifeline and a burden for thousands of Zimbabwean youths navigating harsh realities far from home.