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Moving To Zimbabwe As A Queer Child Of The Diaspora

In December of 2018 I travelled to Zimbabwe to visit my father and attend his wedding. One day we were sat in the car when he gave me a choice. I could either return to studying Psychology at the University of Leeds or move to live with him in Zimbabwe before applying to study the degree of my choice in South Africa where I would stay with my mother.

It should have been an easy decision. Growing up I had been told I could be one of three things; doctor, lawyer or a pharmacist. Pursuing a creative writing career was never an option. But now, five years and almost two failed degrees later, I was being given everything I could have ever wanted. After living in Leeds for 15 years, a fresh start was needed. However, I was extremely apprehensive.

I would be splitting my time between South Africa and Zimbabwe, and I was extremely nervous about what I would find when I got back home due to the economic state and media portrayal of Zimbabwe. I was there for the Christmas break but that was very different to being there for four years. After all, being in a place with longevity makes you notice things you wouldn’t have noticed during a holiday. I am very fortunate that my father and his wife are successful, however, I have never been one to live in my bubble, blind to the harsh realities other people face. What would I see?