Harare’s waiting generation? Resilient waiting, lived religion and youth in transnational contexts

Narratives create people and people create narratives as (re)shaped by lived religion. In Harare, poignant narratives unfold about the stories of “left-behind” youth who grapple with the dual burdens of precarity and longing as their parents and guardians seek better lives in diasporic enclaves. To crystallise the lived realities of these youth, the study engaged in qualitative research, employing in-depth interviews, field observations and reflective field notes. Thirty-three participants, aged 15–35, were drawn from community organisations, religious congregations and informal networks. Their narratives reveal a sense of liminality, where waiting transcends mere inaction, becoming a crucible for resilience and identity formation amid economic instability and emotional turmoil. Faith emerges as a fortifying force, providing solace and infusing their experiences with a shared belief in better days ahead, while vibrant youth cultures manifest as forms of resistance, asserting identities through various means.