In the name of hope

Young people are struggling to make a living

By Jane Standley

You know that you have been spending too long in a place when the hotel staff welcome you like a long-lost daughter. And - not only because you are on first name terms - the staff have more time to chat than usual, and more time to help unload the mountain of silver boxes of broadcasting equipment.

It is because there are few other guests, and very few tourists, these days. Zimbabweans, the friendliest of people, are happy to see a familiar face returning.

Queuing for fuel

I have had a soft spot for the people of this beautiful place since I first came here a few years ago. And since then I have been quietly compiling what is now a rather long list of their great names.

These days I do not get excited when I meet a Lovemore, a Goodwill, a Blessing or a Talkmore. Even a year ago, when I first wrote about them, I did.

Zimbabweans, like all Africans are incredibly resilient and determined

But now it takes a Jealous, who is my best friend among the hotel staff, to get me going.

Perhaps it is being called something as boring as Jane, and growing up with six other Janes in my class at school. In rural Cheshire, there was certainly no-one as interesting as Super, Marvellous, Sunbeam, Member, Choice, Cement, Marble, Anyward, Risk or Request.

Parental ambitions

As Jealous guides me smoothly to the check in desk, I meet another old friend, Obey. Long ago he explained to me that many Zimbabwean parents name their children after something to do with their birth, or they give them aspirational names - hence Succeed, Fortune, Gracious, Wonderful, Polite, Talknice, Clever and even Genius - for the most ambitious.

Zimbabwe's economy is shrinking fast

But many Zimbabweans are not feeling very ambitious these days. They are too worried about the future. Nine floors of the hotel are closing next week, Obey tells me, and some of us are being laid off. Jealous says his Dad - who has worked at the hotel for 36 years - is one of them.

And Enoch, as his Dad is rather disappointingly called, is only getting a redundancy payment for 20 of them - and he does not know why. But I have to take what they are offering me says Enoch sadly.

There is no social security in Zimbabwe: inflation is around 60% and the currency is falling.

Unemployment

I hate to think what decent, hardworking Zimbabweans - who, like parents anywhere, hope for better lives for the next generation - are calling their children these days. I have already met Mistake, Lonely, Anxious, Never, Nowin and Nomore.

Still, Zimbabweans, like all Africans are incredibly resilient and determined people and they will surely weather the storm. But Hardson does not feel hopeful at the moment - he has been waiting in the queue for rationed fuel for five hours now, along with Patience - who surely needs plenty of it.

Even official figures from President Mugabe's government show that investment fell by 80% in the run up to the election.

Zimbabwe's economy is the fastest shrinking in the world. It is worst for the youth - and there are many tens of thousands of them in this young population who have no jobs. Unemployment is more than 50%.

Fingernail and Elastic

My friend Busi is lucky - her parents have enough money to keep her at journalism college - and she comes along with us for some work experience when we are around.

When I'm successful I won't be boring and call my first child Supper

Busi, student

Busi is one of the "Born Frees" - the generation born into a liberated, black majority run Zimbabwe. She shakes with laughter at my predilection for the names of her countryfolk - understanding that I mean no harm or disrespect. They just tickle me.

We had been giggling at an election agent's name - apparently Paraffin is rather common. But Busi could not explain why - nor the other election agents - Fingernail, Bluelight, Elastic and Bisex.

In fits of hysterics, she proffered the argument that the parents of others - Matron, Male and Stranger had just had little or no imagination.

Hopes for the future

Busi herself has plenty of imagination and determination. And no little amount of courage. She is one of only three students studying broadcasting.

President Mugabe: Tight control of the airwaves

Zimbabwe's newspapers are investigative and challenging - but its airwaves are all state-controlled, propaganda machines for Robert Mugabe's party. Busi does not want to be a mouthpiece for the government - yet she is determined to carry on, determined that her country will change, that she will have a chance.

"And you know what," she tells me, "When I'm successful, I won't be boring and call my first child Supper like my sister, because he was born at suppertime.

"No, I'll call him or her Video Camera."

I know that I am the butt of her gentle joke.