"To be in love with a country or a political regime is a tricky business. You get your heart broken even more than by being in love with a person."

Zimbabwe is a small country near the tip of Southern Africa. It’s beautiful, mineral rich, warm, but has been facing economic and political turmoil for a number of years. It’s also my home.

I grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to the US for two years, then Zambia for two years, and finally before attending the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales where I first heard about Jacobs.

It’s often difficult when I go back to visit Zim to compare it to the place where I grew up. Crime, fear and political tensions have obviously increased tremendously. I remember a different place. A place where taking walks in the Park in Harare at night to see the big lights of the city was safe, where you could buy coolers for 1 Zimbabwean Dollar and Freddos for 2, and where friends of many different colours could gather for a Sunday Braai to tell stories and make plans.

Many of these things have changed. It certainly was never a paradise. There has always been crime, worry, political tension but the climate is starkly different. I remain forever surprised by the resilience of Zimbabweans. There is an expression we have. It’s become increasingly more used and it’s said with full certainty and faith, probably to hide the inner doubt: “We can always make a plan”. From Plan A, to Plan B, to Plan C, it seems to have worked so far. I suppose, it’s also about our conceptions of failure. Maybe you don’t’ realize that it’s failed until it’s too late. But what would that look like? I’m really not sure. It’s easy to say Zimbabweans should stand up, collectively and oppose the injustice but that would make it too simple. Part of me feels angry that we can be so passive so complacent, but who am I to judge, what can we expect, and what can we base these expectations on?

Going to a United World College, radically changed my outlook. I was confronted with other conceptions of right, I was taught compassion through service, and I went from knowing exactly what needed to be done to not knowing at all. Often times I feel removed or hesitant to accept, probably partially due to exposure to these very different worlds. This does not mean that I am divorced of a view. I think no one is free from the cage of their perception. I know there are still ideas that I feel very strongly about.

In so many ways I would like to challenge others because I feel this is important. I would like to apply what I’ve learned to society in order to work towards my ideal. Recently, this outcome has been an issue of concern. While I can conceptualize what I think it should be, I’m not fully certain of what this is founded on. On what justifications I can have for belief in this outcome. I suppose this is part of my current challenge and I intend to reflect on it for a little more time.

I’m not sure if this is what I was meant to write but I hope it sheds some light on a little part of me.