Zimbabwe's political instability and economic decline have accelerated migration to South Africa over the past two decades. Because the socio-economic aspects of immigration are prioritized, people often fail to understand the impact on immigrants and their families. This excerpt from the book “Families Across Borders in Africa'' shows how immigrants alleviate the breakdown of ties with family members left behind.
The impact of migration on individuals and families is complex, with many challenges and constraints, but also some opportunities. One important aspect of this complexity requires us to understand the impact that migration has on transnational family relationships, both in destination and country of origin.
This is the paradox underlying the phenomenon of Zimbabwean migration to South Africa, a confusion such as that seen in Chipo's story, which reports the collapse of the family system as a result of the attempt to rescue this same family. This phenomenon is shown throughout our data, so the story of one of his 20 participants told here is in many ways representative of the other families in this study. doing.
This story began as one of hope for a better future and pride in being able to care for a loved one. However, the bond between parent and child was under great strain due to separation and distance.
Chipo's story
The story of 40-year-old Chipo gives us the perspective of a parent who is forced to leave their child behind to support them. She had to leave her seven-year-old son with her elderly girlfriend's mother to look for a job and study further in South Africa. She constantly worries about how her next few years will affect her relationship with her son.
She describes her movement as follows:
I was mainly looking for greener pastures.
Her words echo the idealistic and aspirational view many Zimbabwean immigrants initially had of South Africa. She emphasized the important role of technology in maintaining relationships with surviving family members. WhatsApp is the recommended way to stay connected with family.
I have a family WhatsApp group for me, my mother, and my brother, where we keep ourselves updated about family issues. Even if it's the morning, if it's good morning, if it's the Bible, if it's something…that's how we know we're connected. So I say good morning every morning, how did you sleep? So if we do something like that, if something happens in the afternoon, if something goes wrong, or…well, if something goes wrong, that's how we stay connected and stay in communication.
The role of technology
WhatsApp groups seem to be a way to recreate cross-border family interactions and facilitate everyday family interactions. They have been shown to be highly effective in building and maintaining kinship relationships at a distance.
These uses demonstrate what it means to be a family existing in a digital habitat. Virtual proximity can be achieved through these groups, helping to satisfy families' desire to stay connected despite physical distance.
However, the technology is not without its challenges. These often come with a cost. Chipo explained how he used text messaging and voice recording instead of video calls due to high data charges.
Data communication charges are a bit expensive, especially in Zimbabwe. So video calls aren't… In fact, we don't use them much.
A serious asymmetry has been pointed out between the home country and the destination country, with immigrants having lower communication costs than their families.
Different types of information and communication technologies (ICT) are available primarily to wealthy families and people living in urban areas. As a result, prohibitive costs and a lack of ICT infrastructure can undermine the ability of migrants to stay connected with family members left behind.
Also, the high cost of data can potentially impact relationship building, especially in situations where children are not yet old enough to understand text messages, and require an important visual presence and easier methods. You will benefit from the video and voice calls it offers. Share an emotional connection.
Despite these challenges, there was a general consensus among the 20 participants that ICT allows migrants to maintain caring relationships with family members far away. Participants exchange different levels and types of care. For example, Chipo found it easier to provide medical care to his family through ICT, as he was able to seek medical advice and other forms of practical care in South Africa. Also, I don't want to overwork my elderly mother, who is already taking care of her son, so it is more convenient to coordinate everything. This includes arranging a South African pharmacy to provide medical advice to her family in Zimbabwe.
For example…for the past few weeks my son has had a bit of a fever and a watery tummy…so I had to adjust his medication….
ICT is also used to provide other practical care, such as access to groceries.
what hasn't been said
Thus, the exchange of care in cross-border families goes beyond financial remittances and also includes health and practical needs. What is said and what is not said through virtual communication is also an important issue. As an act of consideration, people may hide information from each other. Chipo says that once her son got sick and her mother didn't tell her. In retrospect, this silence was especially stressful in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I was then told that my son kept coughing. That was before I understood anything about COVID-19 or anything like that…but maybe a week later my mom told me that your son kept coughing, so… So it was very upsetting to hear now that he had only told me. , my son could die and you only told me that now – why didn't you tell me the first day his son died?
widening gap
Chipo believed that visits were very important to fill the information gap, but he did not believe that the information gap could be easily filled through the use of ICT.
But I think it's better for him to come over on holidays, and they come too, and we might do video calls and voice notes, so there's still a gap. We need to meet physically and spend time together. So both.
In a time of global hardship and uncertainty, it seemed like families needed to stay connected more often and urgently. In general, despite the benefits of ICT and creative uses of technology, there was a sense of loss in Chipo's relationship with her son.
And maybe one thing…as much as technology has helped…I feel like even the bond between me and my son is going to change over time… The chasm will get bigger and bigger.
why is this important
Chipo's story tells the stories of immigrants who left behind their loved ones to save their families from financial hardship. Their separation causes an inevitable sense of rupture in the very family they want to protect. This suggests that children of immigrant parents appear to receive more financial support than children of non-immigrant families, but the heart-wrenching challenges of coping with distance and separation damage relationships. This means that they also have a realistic fear that they may become ill.
Siko Moyo, a counseling psychologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, contributed to this research and this article..
