I am at a stage in my life where I feel I am facing a midlife crises. Things I envisioned when I was young seem to fade and not make sense. The vision I had of remaining ( at that time in Zimbabwe) and now to stay working in Africa and never go away seem to be fading. At some point I didn't care that much about earning so much money, all I wanted was a dignified life and to see government delivering services. I even left government work because at that time I had a choice to either be lazy/corrupt or to starve.
In the past week I learnt of opportunities for young Zimbabweans, just like the recent UK and America health care visas, there is now possibilities to go to German on a voluntary visa. Seeing how life is getting hard each day, I encouraged one of my sisters to start learning German for 6 months (she already downloaded Duolingo and is on it I think) as we try to see how she can go to volunteer in German.
I have been in touch with two of my European friends that I now need a job in Europe and coincidentally I listened to Professor Lumumba and refreshingly he reminded me how as Africa we shall forever be colonized (in our mind) as we keep running away at the slim chance to the green pasture places where :-
- they have good road and rail networks
- affordable healthcare for their people
- access to food
- accountability to the voters
- churches are mainly museums and here we are Christians trying to build churches
I am reminded that the more people like me leave Africa, the more we are going to remain poor and colonized, and Africa will not develop.
Its time ladies and gentleman that our vision should be for Africa and for us never to leave, but to fight corruption, to build institutions, to educate the next generation differently, to accept ourselves and our names, to serve as Christians should serve.
One love, always!